Escaping an Abusive Relationship: My Story of Survival and Hope

When I was 18, I met a man who was 29 I was vulnerable and he gave me attention and everything I wanted at the time. He was a known drug addict but I ignored this and everyone’s warnings.
Things started off small by him making comments or saying things about what I was wearing, then he would call me a slag for wearing dresses, makeup, fake tan and nails, when I asked why he told me he was insecure so because I loved him I stopped wearing the things I wanted to.
He then began to physically hurt me, he pushed me down the stairs of our home and dragged me across a park where we lived. He then proceeded to physically hurt me over the next few months and I continued to stay because he told me he was sorry and that he loved me.
He forced me to cut contact with my mum, dad, brother and sister and then all of my friends, he turned me against them and made it out as if they was trying to control me when in fact it was him controlling me, I didn’t see my family or friends for a year.
After him continuing to hurt me, he tried to shoot me with an air rifle as I wanted to leave and go home to my family, he then apologised again and I continued to stay because I thought he loved me, this all happened in the space of 2 years.
The week before I left he smashed my car up and the police came and I continued to protect this man as I thought he loved me, I told them he didn’t mean to do it.
But the final straw was when he grabbed hold of me the night I left, he was on drugs and I thought if I don’t leave now this man was going to kill me, I had a t-shirt on, grabbed my phone and car key and ran at 1 in the morning.
I hope I can help someone else by sharing my story and please leave the first time someone lays a hand on you.