Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 6th Edition by Mary Townsend

Exercise 1

Sandy is a psychiatric RN who works at a safe house for battered women. Lisa has just been admitted with her two small children after she was treated in the emergency department. She had been beaten severely by her husband while he was intoxicated last night. She escaped with her children after he passed out in their bedroom. In her initial assessment, Sandy learns from Lisa that she has been battered by her husband for 5 years, beginning shortly after their marriage. She explained that she "knew he drank quite a lot before we were married, but thought he would stop after we had kids." Instead, the drinking has increased. Sometimes he does not even get home from work until 11 o'clock or midnight, after stopping to drink at the bar with his buddies. Lately, he has begun to express jealousy and a lack of trust in Lisa, accusing her of numerous infidelities and indiscretions, none of which is true. Lisa says, "If only he wasn't under so much stress on his job, then maybe he wouldn't drink so much. Maybe if I tried harder to make everything perfect for him at home-I don't know. What do you think I should do to keep him from acting this way?"
What is an appropriate response to Lisa's question?