Survivor Story: My Children and I Deserve Love and Safety
Submitted by: Danielle, Survivor As part of the conditioning and manipulation abusers use to keep their victims trapped in an abusive relationship, the destruction of self-esteem and self-worth are effective tools. Abusers slowly convince their partners that the abuse is their fault and that they do not deserve any better than their current circumstances. They […]
How Abuse Isolates You
By: Jenn Rockefeller It’s not obvious, and it’s not all at once. It’s subtle and creeps up towards you. It’s so subtle that you won’t know what’s happening until it’s right on top of you and maybe not even then! What is “it”? It’s called isolation, and abusers use it to systematically take you away […]
Survivor Story: Drawing a Line Between Love and Abuse
Submitted By: Cassandra, Survivor It is not always easy to spot red flags that manifest in abusive relationships. Often, the beginning of the relationship is deceptively peaceful and loving, as the abuser wears the persona they need to draw their victim in. Rarely in the early stages of the relationship does an abuser show their […]
Survivor Story: Her Abuser Emotionally Manipulated Her to Get Her to Come Back
Submitted by: *Becky, Survivor On average, it takes seven times for a victim to successfully leave an abuser. Many things contribute to someone returning to their abuser, including financial dependence upon the abuser, desire to preserve their family, children, and fear. Survivor Becky shares with us how her abuser’s manipulation of her emotions and his […]
Recognizing Manipulation Tactics
By Jenn Rockefeller When we enter into relationships, we do so with the hope that the relationship will be a mutually loving one. But some relationships are not an equal partnership; rather, they are riddled with abusiveness and one-sided love. These one-sided relationships are not relationships at all. They are abusive from the start because […]
Survivor Story: My Abuser and His Mother Are Trying to Prevent Me from Contacting My Son
Written by: BTSADV Survivor I’m a 29-year-old married mother of three. When I was 14, I fell in love – or so I thought. My relationship with my oldest son’s father who was 18 at the time started out great. We laughed, played around, and talked all night, and we were ALWAYS together. My father […]
