Many of you undergoing high conflict divorces in family court may not know it, but you are experiencing what is defined as "legal abuse syndrome", i.e. the physical and emotional health consequences of ongoing legal battles.
What this means is that going to court on an ongoing basis can literally make you sick by causing headaches, exhaustion, numbness, depression, flashbacks, weight gain, high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks. Anyone such as crime victims, witnesses, litigants, and attorneys who has had to go to court and face the legal system has the potential to experience this syndrome. What it adds up to is an illness which is very similar to post-traumatic stress disorder which strikes people who undergo extremely damaging life experiences.
Frightening experiences such as car crashes or being mugged cause changes in the production of chemicals in the brain leading people to be jumpy, irritable and numb. The same thing happens when you face the legal system. However, when you are involved in the legal system, the situation just keeps on dragging on and on for years, making your brain produce these chemicals over a long period of time. After a while people feel sick just being near a courthouse or seeing the opposing attorney in the case.
There is nothing that scars the brain more deeply than legal injustice. The end result is frustration, hopelessness, and exhaustion as people realize that the truth has no value in a court system where both the judges and the lawyers are corrupt. Is there any kind of solution to this?
There are many possible solutions, and I would be interested in hearing what yours are. One solution I'd suggest is to be more realistic about what you can achieve in family court, i.e. "Accept the things you cannot change" and pace yourself accordingly.
Another solution is to work for change and take pleasure in whatever successes you can achieve. This will give you the opportunity to bond with others who are enduring the same kinds of abuses. It is immensely uplifting to know that you are not alone, that there are others who stand with you, and support what you are doing.
For more information on this subject, google the term "legal abuse syndrome" and also check out the work of Dr. Jeanne King at www.preventabusiverelationships.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment