"Gaslighting" is to manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. What can be more cruel than that? The term “Gaslighting” comes from a 1938 play Gaslight. In it, a man tries to convince his wife that she is going crazy. One of the ways he does it is to dim … Continue reading DV – Part III – Gaslighting
There are many types of abuse. I’m going to break them down a little. This post will cover emotional and mental abuse. Let me give you an example: There were times during my troubles when my husband didn’t want to do anything with me. He barely spoke to me. We never went out in … Continue reading DV – Part III – Emotional and Mental Abuse
So many times, it's the hidden part of a situation that's the most complicated. Most things were obvious, splitting the possessions, deciding who was getting the house, the dog, the furniture. Making sure the financial problems were all ironed out...all the physical, visible things to be taken care of were painful, but tangible. When my … Continue reading When I Didn’t Know How to “BE”
As the ripple of domestic abuse spreads out wider and wider, more people are affected. These are folks who are not as close as friends, but the victims may spend as much, if not more, time with them. Employers, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances may be the last to know the terror that an abuse victim … Continue reading DV – Part II – Employer, Co-Workers, and Neighbors
My sister told me she would sometimes wake in the middle of the night and worry that I was lying in a pool of my own blood. My parents spent many longs days and sleepless nights worried about my safety. After my ordeal, my father read my book, Knight in Tarnished Armor, and it … Continue reading DV – Part II – Friends and Family
In part one, I spoke about domestic abuse in general. In part two, I want to look at how disturbing domestic abuse is, not only to the victim, but to others. Of course, after the adult partner (significant other, husband, wife, whatever the intimate partner may be), the next most obvious to be affected by … Continue reading DV – Part II – The Innocents
Domestic abuse is running rampant in the world. And yet, people still don’t want to talk about it. Perhaps it’s because those outside the relationship think it’s none of their business what goes on in another’s relationship. And to a certain extent they are right. I don’t want someone telling me how to conduct my … Continue reading Domestic Abuse – Part I
I’m a quote collector. And I make no apologies for it. There are just sometimes when a word fitly spoken (or read) changes the mood, the whole trajectory of my thoughts and opens up avenues of possibilities that I would never have considered if I hadn’t heard a string of words put together in just … Continue reading What a Curious Power Words Have*
Blog But He’ll Change – End the Thinking That Keeps You in an Abusive Relationship by Joanna V. Hunter Like so many of us in the domestic violence advocacy field, Joanna had been a victim of abuse at the hands of her husband. They tell you to write what you know, but as a … Continue reading But He’ll Change – A Must Read!
(Cause it's a lot more fun than going it alone!) I’ve been sitting before a blank screen wondering how to even start this journey. I wrote line after line, and then hit the “Back Space” button and watched them disappear from the screen. I have spent hours reading what the experts say a … Continue reading Let’s Start This Journey Together!
