Physical & Emotional Abuse Support Group
Abuse is a general term for the treatment of someone that causes some kind of harm (to the abused person, to the abusers themselves, or to someone else) that is unlawful or wrongful. No one deserves abuse, period. Abuse can be emotional, physical, or sexual.
I want to take a few minutes to say a heartfelt thank you to every one of you on this message board. I ended an abusive relationship over this past Labor Day weekend, and while the books we all recommend to one another helped me recognize the abuse for what it was, and gave me the courage to leave, it is those of you on this forum who have kept me safe and away from my abuser.
Whenever I feel my resolve slipping I turn to this forum and you remind me why going back would be not only pointless but harmful.
Whenever I miss the good times that I had with my abuser, I turn to this forum and you remind me that good times should not come with a price tag of abuse and humiliation.
Whenever I think that reaching out to connect with my abuser, just to find out how he's doing or try to convey that I'm not the horrible person he made me out to be, I turn to this forum and you remind me - daily - how the gift of "no contact" is the greatest one I can give myself to stay safe and sane.
Whenever I feel lonely and disconnected and long for the love I felt I had for a short period of time, I turn to this forum and you are there, like loving friends, sharing your grief and reminding me that loneliness is SO MUCH BETTER than abuse.
Whenever I question whether maybe he could change and we could have a wonderful life together, I turn to this forum and read all of your stories - ones I could have written myself, with the exact words I heard from him - and I realize that I'm living with magical thinking and must return to reality.
So thank you. Thank you for sharing your stories and your experiences and your thoughts. Thank you for being willing to be vulnerable on this forum after being so hurt in an abusive relationship. Thank you for supporting me and for supporting others. I don't often post to this forum, but I listen to everything you all say. Please know that even if I don't post, I am listening, absorbing, and growing stronger thanks to such a loving and supportive community. Thank you for being there for me and for us. Have a happy holiday season - a tough time for all of us, I know - and I wish all of you best and happiest of new years. May 2013 bring only gifts and blessings to all of you.
Whenever I feel my resolve slipping I turn to this forum and you remind me why going back would be not only pointless but harmful.
Whenever I miss the good times that I had with my abuser, I turn to this forum and you remind me that good times should not come with a price tag of abuse and humiliation.
Whenever I think that reaching out to connect with my abuser, just to find out how he's doing or try to convey that I'm not the horrible person he made me out to be, I turn to this forum and you remind me - daily - how the gift of "no contact" is the greatest one I can give myself to stay safe and sane.
Whenever I feel lonely and disconnected and long for the love I felt I had for a short period of time, I turn to this forum and you are there, like loving friends, sharing your grief and reminding me that loneliness is SO MUCH BETTER than abuse.
Whenever I question whether maybe he could change and we could have a wonderful life together, I turn to this forum and read all of your stories - ones I could have written myself, with the exact words I heard from him - and I realize that I'm living with magical thinking and must return to reality.
So thank you. Thank you for sharing your stories and your experiences and your thoughts. Thank you for being willing to be vulnerable on this forum after being so hurt in an abusive relationship. Thank you for supporting me and for supporting others. I don't often post to this forum, but I listen to everything you all say. Please know that even if I don't post, I am listening, absorbing, and growing stronger thanks to such a loving and supportive community. Thank you for being there for me and for us. Have a happy holiday season - a tough time for all of us, I know - and I wish all of you best and happiest of new years. May 2013 bring only gifts and blessings to all of you.
You also have a happy holiday season filled with much joy.
Take care of yourself and stay strong.
Sending tons of support and bunches of hugs
Y'ALL are so wonderful and inspiring and great to
get to know.
THANK YOU AND HAPPY 2013