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Metaphors Rock & Boundaries are Cool

Hello lovelies!

It’s been a while since we talked, so this conversation is definitely long overdue!

Welcome to 2016, BTW! I hope your new year is treating you well 🙂

So, in case you didn’t know, it’s Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM)!!..right now, in February. Since of course, TDV is our area of expertise, now is the perfect time to talk about it! If you have browsed our lovely website (you so should!), you have, no doubt, read up on some positive and negative aspects of a dating relationship.

Making sure you know what is COOL and NOT COOL in a relationship is why we’re here.

JEALOUSY  =  NOT COOL

  RESPECT  =  EXTRA COOL

…And so on….

What I want to talk about right now is, when enough is enough…when the NOT COOL has gone too far, for too long.

How many of you have gone out with a guy or girl much much longer than you should have? If you haven’t, then I’m sure you know someone who has. That’s the thing, we either have, or we know someone who has stayed with somebody long after an unhealthy line was crossed. And seriously, this happens so much more than you think.

1 in 3 teens is a victim of physical, sexual, verbal or emotional abuse from a dating partner. It’s common, you guys.

So, I want to tell you a story. I found this story in Amanda Palmer‘s book, The Art of Asking. It was passed on to her at a young age by a very wise man, and it goes like this:

A farmer is sitting on his porch in a chair, hanging out.

A friend walks up to the porch to say hello, and hears an awful yelping sound coming from inside the house.

“What’s that terrifyin’ sound? asks the friend.

“It’s my dog,” said the farmer. “He’s sittin’ on a nail.”

“Why doesn’t he just sit up and get off it?” asks the friend.

The farmer deliberates on this and replies:

“Doesn’t hurt enough yet.”

Yes, the story is a metaphor….Humans are beautiful, magical, charming and so smart…but we humans are also strong willed and stubborn. We tend to let the time and the pain drag until it crosses that invisible line in our minds. We all do it, really. But a relationship is not the place or time to wait until it hurts beyond ‘enough.’

 So, how can you determine whether or not your partner has gone too far? Only YOU know when your safety and your spirits are being compromised by your relationship. One of the best things you can do is to set boundaries. Setting boundaries doesn’t mean you’re distant, or uncommitted, or mean; it just means that you know what you are and are not comfortable with. If you aren’t comfortable with getting intimate with your boyfriend/girlfriend, then tell them. If you need some alone time to read or think or dance around in your underwear and sing into your TV remote microphone, then make sure you make that clear (of course you don’t have to tell them about the underwear romping). But the point is, set those boundaries. Maybe even take a minute to think on it, and jot down what is COOL and NOT COOL for you; you may uncover some things you hadn’t yet realized.

Don’t forget, it’s okay to let your partner know those things; if they are a healthy match for you, they will respect your boundaries. And please remember that despite our human condition to wait until it hurts ‘enough,’ it can be dangerous and debilitating to sit on that nail, because ‘enough,’ in an unhealthy situation, will usually translate to, too much.

Know when your lines are being crossed. Respect your partner and make sure they’re doing the same for you. Stay healthy, stay COOL.

Oh and…Leave us a comment about your experience with setting boundaries…how were they received by your partner?

 

 

Love Doesn’t Hurt: Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

By Colleen Curlee, LTD PR Intern

Isn’t LOVE what February is supposed to be all about?

The month where love is in the air and happy relationships abound free and beautiful. What is your definition of love? Does it encompass romance, friendship, and trust? Does it involve being happy and satisfied in a relationship where you feel supported and encouraged? Of course it does.

So why is it that…?

  • Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year
  • One in three adolescents in the U.S. a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner
  • Only 33% of teens who were in a violent relationship ever told anyone about the abuse
  • 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or don’t know if it is an issue

So we’re taking steps to change this.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and we are determined to change perceptions of love and dating for teens in the Rome area. We’ll be doing blog posts each week this month to give you the knowledge and inspiration you need to stop TDV from happening, and to help those in abusive relationships redefine love for themselves.

So what do we mean when we say Teen Dating Violence?

Officially, it is defined as “a pattern of behavior that includes physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse used by one person in an intimate relationship to exert power and control over another.”

TDV is not an isolated incident.

It is a cycle that takes time to recognize. This is what makes it so dangerous. Have you ever used a helium tank to fill up a balloon? When you first turn the gas on, the balloon immediately puffs up and begins filling with helium. After a moment or two, the movement slows down as the balloon gradually takes on more gas and continues filling up. If you’re not careful, you won’t notice exactly how large that balloon is getting until you finally overload it with gas and it pops – with all the gas exploding outwards. TDV works in a similar cycle that we’ll explain in greater depth throughout this month. The cycle of hurting and power will continue until someone refuses to handle the pressure anymore, with the explosion becoming dangerous and painful for everyone involved.

So, why should you care?

Because TDV can occur anywhere, at any time, and over every medium of communication from social media, to face-to-face conversations, to text messages and phone calls. It could happen to your best friend, your sister, your brother, and even the strongest person you know.

And in 2012, Georgia was ranked first in the nation for having the most incidents of teenage dating violence.

So here’s our challenge to you:

Assess your relationship throughout this month. Encourage a friend to read this blog and decide to assess his or her relationship together. Consider the difference you can make by educating yourself on the warning signs of TDV and by knowing your resources for it you ever become uncomfortable in a relationship. Together, we can stop teenage dating violence in Rome, GA. Look for our next blog post to learn more about the warning signs of teenage dating violence and get on the path toward love that doesn’t hurt.

Share your story and journey with us by using #lovedoesnthurt

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