By Survivor Daphne
**The following is written by a survivor of domestic violence and abuse. Descriptions and details may be too graphic for some. Names have been changed to protect all involved.**
I’m a domestic violence survivor.
I met and married a man at the age of 17 because I got pregnant and my parents were really strict. They reinforced the term being married out of wedlock, so this was not someone I was in love with.
Just someone I had a crush on and though was my friend.
He showed me the world, literally. Becuase he was a truck driver.
After I head from high school in 1989, we were married and I had my oldest daughter who’s now 37.
That’s When the Abuse Began
Shortly after she was born he became verbally abusive because he was out on the road a lot and very insecure.
He would come in on Friday and we would spend the weekend together. It wasn’t always bad, just when he drank. And he would drank a lot on the weekends.
When my daughter was the abuse got worse. He bought me a house with all the trimmings and I lived like a prisoner for several years. Domestic violence was more than just physical. He kept me locked up.
He had a storm door on both doors, back and front and he put burglar bars on the windows, he says it was for my safety, but it was to keep me in the house away from my family and friends.
The Years Passed and Domestic Violence Got Worse
He would leave to go out on the road on Sunday and I would be locked in until he returned on Friday.
I thank God the house never caught fire, because if it had me and my two kids would have burned to death.
Ok so it’s 2010 after years of verbal, physical, mental, and emotional abuse. I decided that enough was enough.
So I left him at moved from Atlanta to Pittsburgh, where I got here I found out that I had HIV and now I’m having to live with it.
He has passed away and I finally got some closure to a would be dangerous at toxic situation.
Check These Resources:
- Therapeutic Interventions for Healing From Domestic Violence
- The Hidden Impact of Teen Dating Violence
- Find Support with BTSADV
Support Line
Other Resources and Information:
