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5 guidelines to help your loved one who is unknowingly being abused
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You might be watching a loved one suffer in an abusive relationship. It might be especially hard for you if the loved one isnt aware she is being abused. Trying to help an unaware victim of abuse is hard. The follow five tips can apply to helping both male and female victims of abuse. - photo by Stacie Simpson
You might be watching a loved one suffer in an abusive relationship. It might be especially hard for you if the loved one isnt aware she is being abused. Trying to help an unaware victim of abuse is difficult, but the follow five guidelines can apply to help both male and female victims of abuse.

1. Love and support

Everyone wants to be loved and supported. When a loved one is in an abusive relationship she needs love even more. An abuser contorts the expression of love and doesnt support their victims decisions. The abuser often seeks to control the actions, thoughts and feelings of their victim.

Always and frequently say you love the victim. Dont abandon the victim when she makes decision you disagree with, but support her in her good decisions. When your friend or family member victim realizes she is being abused, she will need your support and love even more. She will feel comfortable talking to you and taking your advice.

Support them during the abuse and you help them when they are ready for aid.

2. Spending time together

Spending time one on one time with the victim away from her abuser will help clear her mind and will also create a relationship of trust. She will feel comfortable talking to you and confiding in you. This will also allow you to see how she is doing. Offer advice when asked and make sure she enjoys her time with you.

3. Express concerns sensitively

Dont make your loved one defensive this will just push them away from you and closer to her abuser. When a victim becomes defensive about her relationship she will defend her abuser, discovering more reasons to stay instead of recognizing the problem.

At the same time, dont stay silent. If you have concerns about a loved ones relationship, express the concern in a sensitive and private way. Think carefully about the words you say. Always say that you love them. Dont act like a professional counselor, even if you are one. The key is to be a friend who has concerns but will always love the victim no matter what.

4. Surround them with healthy relationships

When someone expects to be insulted, hit or forced into doing something, she might not realize it is abnormal. Letting the victim see healthy couple interactions is key in helping them see their situation as abusive.

When doing this, dont make it obvious. Dont say, See, this is how a good relationship is. That will create defensive and hostile feelings. Let the victim realize the differences on her own. She will likely take action when she discovers the truth, because she wont feel stupid in front of her friends and family.

5. Never say I told you so

I told you so is one of the worst phrases you can use when a victim realizes she is being abused. The victim knows you were right. There is no reason to demoralize them. In fact, she probably heard the phrase I told you so often enough from her abuser.

You recognized the signs first, sure, but that doesnt matter in the end. What matters is she recognized it. Now you can help them out of the relationship or get them help.

An outside perspective can often be clearer than an insiders perspective when it comes to relationships. If you are on the outside, you dont always understand what is going on inside the relationship, so always love and never judge. Be the loving support system your friend needs right now and help in every way possible to help her get the help she needs.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.