When We Can’t Return Home
Last week, I wrote of my fear to return home. But there are times when our circumstances does not allow us to return home. Whether that is because our parents are dead or due to…
Afraid to Return Home
After years of enduring domestic violence, I was afraid of returning home. I was returning home a loser. I had made a mistake and not listened when other told me to walk away. I felt…
Losing our self dignity
The more abuse I endured, the more my self dignity was chipped away. Looking in the mirror one day I did not recognize who I’d become. I had no self respect, no self love and…
Pulling Away from Our Abuser
I recently heard in a sermon that when we hold on to something to tightly than we begin to smoother it, that thing begins to loosen itself and slowly slip away. There are many things…
Being Abused Is Not for the Weak
When I was being abused I was constantly told that I weak. When my husband found me reading my Bible or praying he would say, “you can’t do that. God doesn’t want to hear from…
Taking Our Need to the Lord
In my abusive situation, I began to see the truth behind his lies and actions. As I turned my situation over to the Lord, I grew strong and began to stand up for myself. I…
Struggling to Let Go
Letting go is not easy. Even after a bad situation, when we want to let go, it is often easy to hold on to the past. After all, this is what is familiar. This is…
Moving from Victim to Survivor
During the process of healing, I realized that I had to move my thought process from victim to survivor. Dictionary.com describes a victim as “a person harmed, injured or killed as a result of a…
Knowing When to Walk Away
Have you ever had to walk away from someone you love? There are times when we have to make tough decisions. When someone we love brings physical harm or tremendous emotional pain into our lives,…
Abuse Can Make You Crazy
Did you know that abuse can make you crazy? A quick Google search, shows a variety of articles proving that emotional abuse can in fact lead a person to erratic behavior. This was true for…
When We Should Keep Secrets
I grew up where we speak only truth. If we told a lie, we were reprimanded and told how important it was to tell the truth. This is still a life lesson I strive to…
When you are cut off from all you know
While I was in my abusive relationship, I was cut off from my family and friends. This happened so slowly, that I did not even realize what was happening at first. So, how is a…
3 Strategies To Move On From Abuser
Last week, I shared 9 strategies when you want to return to the chaos. But, in addition to longing for the old, unhealthy patterns you may discover that you can’t stop thinking about the man…
9 Strategies When You Want to Return to the Chaos
If you’ve recently left a difficult situation or relationship, do you find yourself longing to return to the chaos? I know, that sounds like a silly question. However, the situation had become so engrained in…
20 Ways to Protect Yourself
I shared last week, about developing a plan to leave a bad situation or relationship, but there are steps that need to be take in which to protect oneself. Some of the things I learned…
Preparing to Leave
The time finally arrived when I said enough is enough and I began to prepare a plan to leave. I’ll admit this was a difficult decision and I second and third guessed myself time and…
Why does this hurt so much?
I shared last week, reasons why I stayed until I had no choice but to be honest with myself and leave. However, there was another question I had to ask myself. Why does this hurt…
Why are you staying?
When I was in my abusive relationship, I often had people ask why are you staying? At first, the answer was “because he loves me”. But his actions did not show he loved me. Then…
Domestic Violence Series: Special Edition–Resources for You
In closing this series, I want to provide some resources for you! National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) www.dvasc.org Domestic Violence Assistance www.ndvh.org National Domestic Violence Website www.health-first.org List signs of abusive relationship http://www.thehotline.org/…
Topic Monday: Domestic Violence Series–Moving on and Starting Over
If you’ve survived a domestic violence situation, I congratulate you! Living through one and moving on is not easy! However, it can be done! Moving on takes time. Move at a pace you’re…