Looking For A Sign
By Rick Dougherty Social media has been a blessing and a curse for those of us who try to battle violence against women. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms have allowed organizations like Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence to spread our message. Unfortunately, as many of us are well aware, social media has also […]
Medicine for the Soul: How giving can heal the broken pieces of a survivor’s heart
Your gift of giving as a survivor of domestic violence isn’t just beneficial to many, but it’s also healing to a wounded heart that deserves to be mended.
What I Learned (and Had to Unlearn) from Witnessing Financial Abuse
Even the women in his family didn’t think women should be treated equally. When I later married, they mocked my wife for not taking my last name. This didn’t come from the men in the family. It came from the women. The patriarchal family structure was comforting to all of them, as a protection from a scary world. Even if that structure suppressed them, it provided a feeling of safety.
Abuse or Homelessness: A Horrifying Decision for Many Victims of Domestic Violence
There came a point where the abuse was getting more and more dangerous. One night, in particular, I escaped and drove to a parking lot up the road. A few of my friends had encouraged me to call a domestic violence shelter. I was very hesitant because I didn’t want my kids to have to experience that if I can be honest, but it came to a point where they experiencing my abuse was far more damaging in my eyes. I took a deep breath and called. To my absolute shock and dismay, they told me that they were full and couldn’t take us.
My Survivor Story
While we lived an enviable life there was a lot that that went on that people didn’t see.
When Finances Become an Abuser’s Means of Entrapment
I realized that he had a huge drug problem that he had been hiding, and many of our bills were past due. I was frantic because we were on the verge of being evicted from our home. To my dismay, he refused.
