Blog #14 Sexual Assault

Women are seen as the weaker gender by most people, even women themselves. Women are attacked and assaulted in America more often than men. “Women and girls up to 12 years of age, annually reported about 500,000 rapes and sexual assault, almost 500,000 robberies, and about 3.8 million assaults” (Vision Website, 2007). I have not seen the statistics but I have heard many times that sexual and physical assaults are generally committed by a person the victim knows. Most statistics do not even account for the women and girls who do not report assaults. Some women are afraid they will be judged for reporting. People will think they were asking for it or they are being weak as usual. I believe this is the fear of women and why many assaults go unreported.

Ways to reduce assaults:

• Women should be aware of their surroundings (ex. do not be in a place in which you are unfamiliar, unless accompanied by other people).
• Stay in lit areas
• walk in groups
• lock house and cars, have keys ready to get into both as well
• be prepared wherever you go, have a plan
• carry a cell phone, if possible
• have someone know where you are at all time, in case you are late or missing, they will know where you are
• be weary of strangers

References

www.http://soundvision/info/misc/wvastst.asp 2007

Blog #13 Weakness/ Strength in Women

My personal belief is a women is not weak is she admits to having an alcohol or drug problem. I do however believe that many women who have such problems feel weak and inferior for seeking help or admitting to their problems. I can see women thinking they need to be strong and take care of their families. Maybe because of these fears they may not want to seek the help they desperately need. I know many women personally that have both alcohol and drug problems. From my personal experience I can see it is harder to diagnose women with alcohol or drug problems than in men. They usually hide their problems well until they hit rock bottom.

I believe it takes a great deal of strength for anyone to admit they have trouble with alcohol or drugs. After admitting to the problem you have to then seek help which can prove to be even more difficult. I feel society has put this pressure on women to be stronger now because if not they are as weak as men perceive them to be anyways. One guy told me one time, “You need to be strong, especially if you want the same rights as men!” Can you believe that? I was shocked; needless to say I do not speak to that particular person anymore. I feel betrayed and saddened that this is the world I live in. A world in which a woman, or even a man for that matter, cannot ask for help without feeling like everyone will judge them. Some people are great and are not judgmental, but for the most part people are waiting for you to slip and mess up. Just because women admit they have a problem does not mean they are claiming weakness!

Blog #12 Eating Disorders

Dealing with eating disorders can be a complicated and hard issue to face for anyone. It can prove to be rather difficult in confronting people especially when you yourself do not have an eating disorder. If I suspected friend had an eating disorder I would first remember the problem does not necessarily revolve around food itself. The problem is usually emotional or stress issues caused by various environmental issues. Usually the person has issues with control.

• First off I would learn everything there is to know about eating disorders. Most people know bits and pieces of information but not full details
• I would let the person know I care for them and encourage them to get help
• I would back off if they started to get irritated, but not too far
• I would not tell them they have a problem but encourage them to find out if everything is okay
• I would not blame them or accuse them of anything
• I would make sure to not be judgmental and make the issue private
• I would avoid saying “just eat” or “don’t throw up”
• Support is one of the most important things, they might be angry at first but eventually they will see you are there to help

Blog #11 Living with your Future in mind

I believe that if people lived “with their future in mind”, they would exhibit extremely different habits and behaviors. Most people try and think about what their health future encompasses but it usually is not enough for them to quit their unhealthy behaviors. For instance a person who smokes knows that it is unhealthy and can cause further problems in the future but they still continue to smoke anyways. Another example is a person that is at risk for overweight or obesity. These people will most likely eat unhealthy food including junk food and fast food. Most of their food decisions will be unhealthy choices. They will also almost certainly not work out the proper amount they are supposed to be exercising.

Most men I know are afraid or worried about going to the doctor. Even for the smallest things. My boyfriend does not want to make an appointment even for a cold that he can not get rid of for a month, let alone see a physician for his regular prostate check up. Many men I know are “freaked-out” about getting their prostate checkups when the time comes. It is not always fear of the physician but mostly they are too proud to seek help for problems. I believe that this is why men typically pass away approximately seven years before women.

Even though most people live with their futures in mind they still will not change the harmful habits they have. I believe that if people would actually consider their future and act on it health wise then less people would be seeking medical help for illnesses such as cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes, etc.

Blog #10 Preventative Measures

Some preventative measures that I have set in motion for myself are simply. I do not exercise as much as I should but when I do I make sure and work out my cardiovascular system. The best way to work this system out is to use a trend mill, run, walk, jog, etc. These exercises work out the cardiovascular muscles and help to reduce many illnesses. Living a sedentary lifestyle cause a person to have a low physical activity and leads to cardiovascular disease. Being overweight is usually a problem when women do not exercise properly. Overweight and obesity can even cause more issues with cardiovascular disease. Eating properly can also persuade the risk for the disease. Certain fatty foods can eventually cause a build up in the arteries and cause high blood pressure and problems with cholesterol. Smoking cigarettes can also heighten the risk for cardiovascular diseases. One thing that women should be concerned with is their age. It is best to start working on your cardiovascular system as early as possible. As women get older the risk for cardiovascular elevates. Especially for women that have already reached menopause. They should also pay close attention to personal family history as far as genetic cardiovascular troubles. Race also plays an important role. Certain races are at a higher risk. Diabetes, which also is genetic, can influence the risk of cardiovascular disease.