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For Immediate Release
African American Newswire: 413-734-6444
Contact: Unnia Pettus
(202) 641-7632
upettus@aol.com
October is
"National Domestic Violence Month"
Rev. Unnia Pettus, Ph.D.
Minister Writes Memoir That Describes How She Left
A Domestic Violence Relationship And Offers Insight
About Its Prevalence Among Couples of Faith
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(AANEWSWIRE-October 1, 2007, Washington, D.C.) Today,
Reverend Unnia Pettus, Ph.D., an ordained minister and
professor, released her tell-all book about the years
that she endured emotional, verbal, and physical abuse
while in a relationship with a man she describes as a
"devout Christian and an active church worker."
In "Nobody But God: A Journey of Faith From Tears
To Triumph;" NBG Publishing; October 1, 2007; ISBN
0-9770394-0-4; $ 12.00, this author shares her gripping
testimony of how God turned her "misery into ministry,"
as she is now a domestic violence advocate and speaks
out to educate teenagers and women how to identify abusive
behavior.
"I know what it feels like to be with a man who repeatedly
hurts you, even though he tells you that he loves you.
After years of dealing with the abuse, I hit 'rock bottom'
and tried to kill myself. I took a bottle of prescribed
pain medication, and a half bottle of over-the-counter
sleeping pills. This suicide attempt was my cry out for
help. I was treated in a hospital psychiatric ward, and
was told that I was suffering from severe clinical depression,
" said Rev. Dr. Pettus.
In a book excerpt she writes, "I was told I could
have died with the deadly mix of pills that I took, which
is just what I wanted to do-just die. I couldn't take
living the lie of what had become our relationship. I
just wanted the cover-up, the lies, and the drama of us
being together to end."
"After my treatment and recovery, I realized I had
an obligation to speak out for women, who like myself,
were afraid to because of how people would react to them.
There is a stigma that comes with being a victim, as many
believe it should be easy to leave their abuser. I know
that it was ultimately my faith in God that gave me the
courage to leave," she said.
She added, "Recently domestic violence among couples
of faith has been widely reported in the national news.
I believe this type of news coverage is helpful. I had
the motivation to write my memoir to help other women
who are currently going through abusive situations. I
wanted to inspire them to not live as victims any longer."
The American Medical Association (AMA) estimates that
over four million women are victims of severe assaults
by boyfriends and husbands each year. About one in four
women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime.
[1]
About the Author: The author has served as a prominent
spokesperson for several individuals including her role
as the Press Secretary for former Washington, D.C., Mayor,
Sharon Pratt Kelly. She was also the Washington, D. C.
Metropolitan Area Press Secretary for the 2000 Democratic
Presidential Campaign for Vice President Al Gore and Senator
Joe Lieberman (D-CT). For the past several years, she
has worked as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of
Journalist at her alma mater, Howard University. She is
an Associate Minister at Galilee Baptist Church, which
has church locations in Washington, D.C., and Suitland,
Maryland.
Editor/Producer: Rev. Dr. Pettus is immediately
available for conducting media interviews. She can be
reached at (202) 641-7632 or via email at upettus@aol.com.
To obtain the author's photograph, book cover and/or jacket,
or the electronic version of the book, please send your
request directly to her via email. The book is also available
on Amazon.
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[1] American Medical Association, 2006
This announcement has been distributed by UnityFirst.com
Direct. For more information, call (413) 734-6444 or
send email to: jfondon@unityfirst.
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