Have you or are you living with domestic violence and/or intimate partner abuse? Has your child or children suffered from domestic violence and/or its effects? Are you unsure? Do you doubt yourself? Do you blame yourself? Do you need help? There are so many questions I feel I could go on forever. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), “Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another.” The statistics are staggering, and you are not alone.
Thank you for stopping by my blog. This is my first one, and I anticipate connecting with those who have personally shared some of the same life experiences I have or those who know others that have. I’m a mother, a nurse, and a certified, credentialed life coach. I want to reach out and help others by being a reliable, trustworthy resource for those who have or are enduring what I believe to be an epidemic in our country, domestic violence and/or intimate partner abuse in all its forms. I’m an open, honest, transparent person.
Though men are also victims of domestic violence and intimate partner abuse, which is not something to be ignored, one in three women have been or will be at some point in their lives (NCADV). I often think most people know abuse knows no bounds, but I have found myself to be wholly incorrect when assuming the majority of us are just simply aware of this fact. Abuse crosses all barriers including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and religious and political affiliations (NCADV). No one is exempt. No one should feel shame.
I have experienced verbal, physical, emotional, financial, and narcissistic abuse at the hands of the man I thought I could trust more than anyone else in this world, and while pain still lingers from everything I’ve lived through, I see myself as a survivor. However, being a survivor doesn’t mean I don’t experience my own setbacks; rather I make the conscious decision to continue looking forward every day, no matter how difficult it can sometimes seem. By connecting with those who have dealt with or are dealing with abuse, I believe we can work together to end this widespread problem and turn victimization into a healthy survivorship.
I want to encourage people who visit this blog to post their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and opinions and to know they can be involved. I want readers of this blog to know they can reach out to me, and I’m not afraid of disagreements because we should all be able to share our stories and experiences without fear of repercussions. How else can we establish trust and win this war if we never disagree? I want to solve problems together as a team. I plan to share articles and videos and to post as much as needed, and I will absolutely share my stories without reservation. I look forward to starting this journey with each and every one of you. According to Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of Crazy Love, “Abuse thrives only in silence.” I’m attaching her very powerful, moving TED Talk here, and I hope it helps you as much as it’s helped me. I’m also attaching an article about ways we can aid in the prevention of domestic violence on a local level. Please also visit the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s website at www.ncadv.org for more information.
Thoughtfully, Shannon
Helpful Link
