Break Your Silence

One Day at a Time 21 Years Later; My Survivor Story

November 14th 2019 

ANONYMOUS 

I have been a survivor of domestic abuse for almost 22 years! I dealt with physical and emotional abuse from my ex-husband, who started hitting on me once we were officially married in 1995 when I was 24 years old.

This person used me as a punching bag for a hobby. What made things worse was that I had no help from family members or the authorities! The police laughed at me and when it came time for court visits, my ex would threaten me to not enter the court room. The cases would get thrown out because of this!

I was able to obtain a protection order, which meant nothing to my abuser and he violated it several times. I dealt with the abuse for 3 years and suffered many physical, mental, and emotional wounds. I was able to finally get away from my abuser once he committed a crime that the police deemed to be illegal enough for him to be arrested. He was given 12 years in prison for breaking the law and that didn’t include hitting on me. He was never convicted of spousal abuse.

In my case no matter where I went my ex-husband would come looking for me so, leaving wasn’t an option. I finally divorced him and once it was final he left me alone. I survived, but I still suffer from many issues! I’m taking things one day at a time 21 years later.

break the silence against domestic violence
BreakTheSilenceDV

Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence (BTSADV) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence beyond crisis. BTSADV focuses on long-term healing through financial assistance programs, scholarships, survivor retreats, advocacy initiatives, and a national support line. The organization works to amplify survivor voices, raise awareness about coercive control and systemic failures, and help break generational cycles of abuse through education, outreach, and community engagement.

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