I recently read an article in my Women’s Health Magazine that brought back a flood of emotions and caused my heart to tighten in my chest as I remembered a time not too long ago where I was living some of what was written in the article. I hesitated to write this blog but decided to write it because someone else could be one of those women and trying to deny what is happening to them.
Domestic Terror is the issue and the statistic is 1 in 3 women in the U.S. experience violence at the hands of a man in her life. 1 in 4 U.S. women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner (hit with a fist, beaten, slammed into something, etc.). 1 in 2 have experienced psychological aggression (insults, humiliation, name-calling, coercive control). 1 in 6 have been stalked by an intimate partner. These numbers are way too high and something needs to be done. Women need to be educated and taught that is okay to walk away and to seek help.
Thankfully, I got out of the relationship before it turned into physical abuse but mental/verbal abuse is just as bad and does as much damage on the emotions and wellbeing of a woman. I was blessed that my recovery time was short and I had a great support system that was there when I decided to be open and honest and admit what was going on. Also, I am blessed to have an uncle who is a retired cop who had a “one-on-one” conversation with the guy and let him know what would be done if he tried to contact me ever again.
You may wonder how a woman would allow herself to be in a situation where a man could abuse her….it’s easy. You ignore the red flags, and you are willing to overlook certain behavior because you want to prove to that person that they are wrong in what they say about you or think about you. You also observe him being kind, friendly, charming with others so you begin to think the issue is with you or that maybe you are overreacting and being petty. Most often, after an argument or episode, he will be very charming and make you forget about what just happen. You will keep your opinions to yourself to avoid an explosive argument….even stating my opinion on a certain book sent him into a rage one night.
The article gives some behaviors to watch for…warning signs that a man could be an abuser. The Source is Debby Tucker, executive director of the National Center on Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence:
1 – constantly checking up on you
2 – Isolating you by criticizing close friends.
3 – Driving a wedge between you and family.
4 – Acting overly charming.
5 – Monitoring your social media accounts and pushing for access.
6 – Moving too fast in a relationship.
7 – Wanting to control the finances.
8 – Putting down your appearance.
9 – Dismissing your opinions quickly – or worse, calling you stupid.
Ladies, if the man you are dating exhibits ANY of these behaviors, please break off the relationship completely and get counsel. When I say break off the relationship, I mean to break it off and have no more communication at all with him. The guy I was with had several of these behaviors – and I wish I had read this list to know and be aware before I got in too deep. Again, I am very blessed that we broke up before it turned physical – I remember the last night…a conversation turned into him exploding with anger because he was convinced I was lying to him and was going to a conference to meet someone. He proceeded to yell, cuss me out, and throw a piece of furniture across the room. I remember thinking, “what am I going to do if he hits me?” I think that is the moment things started becoming clear to me.
Another reason why I almost didn’t write this blog is I realize what could happen should the wrong person read this and report back to him. But the day I cut off all communication with him is also the day I stopped allowing him to control me in any kind of way. I will never share his name or give away his identity but I will share my story to help other women get out of abusive situations because I believe everything we go through in life is to help someone else. I never want any woman to have any of those feelings of low self-worth and that nothing you do is good enough. Please don’t be a statistic. Be Smart. Be Safe. Value yourself, your wellbeing, and your health. Don’t be one of the 1 in 3.
Angela Prather 