I am 2yrs free from my dv relationship. We were together 8 1/2yrs, engaged, and had a son together. He was great in the beginning convincing me he was this amazing man and wanted a family with me and everything I wanted. About 4yrs in I got pregnant with our son. After that my life became a living nightmare. He would steal my phone, truck keys, and debit card. He would leave with my truck and take the house phone and my cell phone. Basically hold me hostage. All my text messages had to be read by him and my replies I could do nothing without his approval. I had my son and he started drinking so heavily and started getting physical along with the mental, emotional and financial abuse. I tried so hard to make it stop to even help him. He had me convinced it was all my fault. He changed because I had a baby and had to focus on a new born and two other kids that we had from previous relationships. He started leaving me and the kids for days taking all car keys with him all phones cut off all my contact to anyone. I was so scared to say a word. So scared of what would happen to me if I broke my silence. It only took me 2 times of leaving and him threatening to unalive himself if I didn’t come back, for me to get in touch with the cops to come save me and my kids. Our last night there I locked me and my baby in a bedroom as he was walking around the house with a knife screaming and I called the police very very quietly and told them “please save us I think we are going to die tonight” and within 5 minutes 14 officers were at the house. I quietly left the baby in the room and locked the door behind me walked to the front door because he had it triple bolted and as I opened the front door for the cops he came charging down the hallway with me but I knew in that moment….we were finally safe. They took him to the local hospital and committed and I filed a temporary restraining order. My restraining order went final Sept of 2021 and I have never looked back. We have not seen him since June 2021. He violated the order 9 times with txts and emails and calls but I was relentless and violated him Everytime. I needed to take my power back that I had lost for so long. Today me and my kids are safe, in our own place, and slowly getting back everything we lost. When I left the house we had I took nothing but my kids so when I say we started over I mean from the bottom of the bottom but we are doing it! And we are alive and safe and I am forever grateful to be able to live now and not fear our safety anymore.