Abuse Hides in the Dark. Turn on Your Light.

Recovery from Domestic Abuse


  • Life with an Abuser Vs Life with Freedom and Choice

    Life with an Abuser Vs Life with Freedom and Choice

    I left my life with an abuser almost three years ago, and the real roller coaster of life revealed itself. On the uphill climbs, I feel simultaneously excited and worried about reaching the top. Sitting on the peak, before the thrilling plummet, I feel on top of my game, as if nothing can break me. The

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  • My Helpful Friend Is Really A Control Freak!

    My Helpful Friend Is Really A Control Freak!

    I have a friend who is as controlling as my ex, but in a different way. She comes to my new place calls my kid’s toys & clothing junk. She makes judgement calls on my other friends insisting that they are holding me back, but she is the one who won’t let me move forward! I feel

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  • Honor Your Fear and Act

    Honor Your Fear and Act

    If you are afraid, there is a reason.  Explore it before you’re in imminent danger.  Even if your abuser has never laid a hand on you, if your intuition tells you something is going to happen, trust yourself. I’ve found two books that said that the best indicator of future domestic violence is the victim’s

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  • After Abuse, Don’t Look Far to Find Yourself

    After Abuse, Don’t Look Far to Find Yourself

    You Didn’t Lose Yourself, You Hid After abuse, when we look into the mirror, we think we see someone we do not know anymore. We tend to think the abuse changed us at our core. We worry that we’ll never be “that girl” ever again. But I’ve decided to think of the effects of abuse

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  • I’m in Long-Term Counseling

    I’m in Long-Term Counseling

    Find “the right” counselor. You get to decide who is the right counselor, no one else. If you don’t feel comfortable with a therapist after three visits, continue counseling but start looking for a better match. There are different kinds of therapies available to you. I recommend one that deals with the here and now…

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  • Lessons I’ve Learned From the Dark Side

    I have a wealth of lessons learned because of my experience with the dark side of humanity. I’ll bet all of you have learned a thing or two because of your abusive relationships, too. Maya Angelou said, “I can be changed by what happened to me; but I refuse to be reduced by it.” Abuse…

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  • Mothers Separated From Children: One Way to Connect If The Abuser Wins Custody

    Mothers Separated From Children: One Way to Connect If The Abuser Wins Custody

    And if you do lose custody, “a study of cases brought to appeal showed reversals in the mothers’ favor when domestic violence was considered” (Daniel Saunders, PhD). So always appeal an initial horrible judgment, and find an attorney who is well-versed in domestic violence from the get go.

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  • Shapeshifting: How to Change Your Story

    Shapeshifting: How to Change Your Story

    July 2012 Newsletter Are You Ready To Change Your Story? Hello! Thank you for being integral to Verbal Abuse Journals. Your thoughts and concerns are at the top of my mind every morning when I wake up. I read all of your comments and emails. Some add to my dreams for my future and others remind

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  • Newsletter Archive

    Newsletter Archive

    Verbal Abuse Journals Newsletter Archives Empowered Healing from Domestic Abuse Empowered healing occurs when you take your domestic abuse recovery into your own hands. There are many ways of doing that, and here’s a recipe to help. You Have “People” – March 7, 2013 Hi there! I’m happy to write to you today because you brighten

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  • Letters About Abuse

    Letters About Abuse

    In the months after leaving my abusive husband, there was so much I wanted to explain to my boys! My oldest son’s anger was heavy and dense. I could reach out and touch my youngest son’s broken heart on his sleeve. I wanted so badly to explain my side of things…but I couldn’t.

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