By Iris Pendelton <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trigger Warning:<\/strong> This post discusses non-graphic references to strangulation and domestic violence. The content may be emotionally difficult, especially for survivors of abuse or trauma. Please take care of yourself while reading. If you need support, confidential help is available in the U.S. through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)<\/strong> or by texting START<\/strong> to 88788<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a phrase many survivors use casually \u2014 almost without thinking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was choked.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For a long time, I used that phrase too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of us do. It\u2019s the word we\u2019ve heard our whole lives. But medically and legally, choking<\/em> and strangulation<\/em> are not the same thing \u2014 and confusing them can be dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That distinction matters \u2014 a lot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strangulation can cause:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here\u2019s the most important truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strangulation is one of the strongest predictors of homicide in domestic violence cases.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t just another argument that went too far. It\u2019s a medical emergency and a serious warning sign of escalating violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the reasons strangulation is so often minimized is because it doesn\u2019t always leave bruises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There may be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But internally, the damage can be severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person can lose consciousness in less than 10 seconds<\/strong>. Brain injury can occur even if they \u201ccome to\u201d quickly. Death can happen hours or days later<\/strong>, long after the incident has ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why many survivors don\u2019t realize how close they came to losing their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story of Gabby Petito<\/strong> shook the world \u2014 not because domestic violence was rare, but because we saw how easily warning signs can be missed or minimized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like so many survivors, her situation was described as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What we now know is that strangulation was part of her story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And tragically, that single detail told us everything we needed to know about how dangerous her situation truly was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her story is not unique. For me, strangulation was the moment everything changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t dramatic. It was clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My body understood before my mind could catch up: I realized this wasn\u2019t about love. It was about whether my children would grow up with their mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was the day I decided to leave \u2014 not because I felt brave, but because my body had already received the warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And statistically, it was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strangulation is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many survivors don\u2019t seek medical help. But awareness saves lives<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are reading this and recognizing yourself, please hear this clearly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaving is not simple. But understanding the danger is often the first step toward survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone has ever:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was not \u201cjust choking.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n That was strangulation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it is a medical and safety emergency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You are not dramatic. If you or someone you love needs help, confidential support is available in the U.S. through the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n National Domestic Violence Hotline<\/strong> Sharing this story isn\u2019t easy \u2014 but silence helps no one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this helps even one person recognize the warning signs sooner than I did, then it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because we deserve more than survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We deserve safety. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Iris Pendelton Why Strangulation in Domestic Violence Is a Serious, Life-Threatening Warning Sign Trigger Warning: This post discusses non-graphic references to strangulation and domestic violence. The content may be emotionally difficult, especially for survivors of abuse or trauma. Please take care of yourself while reading. If you need support, confidential help is available in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":20441,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[348],"tags":[92,161,162,90,116,117,876,115,128,34],"class_list":["post-20440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-abuse","tag-break-the-silence-against-domestic-violence","tag-btsadv","tag-domestic-violence","tag-emotional-abuse","tag-physical-abuse","tag-strangleation","tag-survivor","tag-trauma","tag-verbal-abuse"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\n\n\nWords Matter More Than We Realize<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Choking vs. Strangulation: The Difference That Can Save a Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhy Strangulation Is So Dangerous \u2014 Even Without Marks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWe Saw This Play Out in Real Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It is devastatingly common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Day Everything Became Clear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t loud.
It wasn\u2019t even emotional at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I stayed, I would not survive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or fixing things.
Or trying harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhy We Have to Talk About Strangulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Many don\u2019t tell the full story.
Many don\u2019t realize how close they came to dying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
It is not always immediate.
And it is never easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nA Quiet but Urgent Reminder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You are not imagining things.
You are responding to real danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nYou Are Not Alone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udcde 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
\ud83d\udcf1 Text START<\/strong> to 88788<\/strong>
\ud83c\udf10 thehotline.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We deserve freedom.
We deserve to live.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n