Surviving Domestic Violence - The Introduction

The Introduction

Although, it may feel repetitive I will start each post in this series a trigger warning and a resource.

Trigger Warning- This post contains explicit descriptions regarding domestic violence, emotional abuse and substance abuse.

If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation, please don’t wait. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233

Rock Bottom

I mentioned on my About Me page that I hit rock bottom.

It’s true, I hit rock bottom.

What brought me there was something I never imagined I’d go through — domestic violence. It was severe, it was scary, and sometimes it’s a blur.

But in order for you to truly understand my healing, the triumphs and how I found my strength in Christ, I have to take you back to the low point- it only makes sense.

You see, I had to completely rebuild my life from the ground up. And to explain why, you need to understand what fell apart. I share my story, not for pity, but to spread awareness, and to hopefully to give someone who’s in a dark place even the tiniest glimmer of light.

We all go through tribulations and obstacles-- they are just a part of life. Whether it be divorce, childhood trauma, or abuse, it could even be mommy or daddy issues, sibling conflict, or just a series of unfortunate events.

But if there's one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Life goes on.

Much Too Common

And I want to be clear — this message isn’t just for women.

Men go through domestic violence too.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. And the CDC reports that every minute, 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.

It is a real issue and unfortunately, it is much too common.

I’ve been silent about this for quite some time. Only close family members know, and a handful of friends, but for a very long time throughout my healing process, I’ve known that I wanted to speak out. Things will only get better when what is done in the dark comes to the light.

So again, I chose to share my story, not for pity, but with the hopes of somehow empowering someone else by letting them know that they are not alone, letting them know that they can walk away from any situation, that they are strong and that they are capable they are loved.

Is sharing my story therapeutic for me? Of course, it is – but what truly helps me heal is knowing that in sharing my story I might be able to help even one person take their first step toward freedom.