Ani

In 1999, I was stuck, again, in the web of a domestically violent relationship. Although he was not physically abusive, he used gaslighting to manipulate me psychologically. He was jealous, possessive and controlled who we interacted with. If I resisted, he was easily angered, self-deprecating and would threaten to harm himself. I was isolated helpless, trapped, anxious and confused. I self-medicated by working more hours than necessary. In 2006, the Department of Children and Families, removed the children from our home while they completed an investigation to allegations that he had physically abused one of the children.

Thankfully, the children were returned home, and we were flooded with resources. To not repeat the cycle of abuse and fall victim again to domestic violence, I plugged into every resource provided. Here is where the healing process began. I joined a church, went to family and individual therapy. I joined a small group and started sharing my story publicly. I started running, reading, and writing my thoughts. In time, together we were able to celebrate recovery.