Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 1st marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness month. As a survivor of the horror of being violated by the one person who was supposed to love me and care for me and protect me, this is very dear to my heart. In order to honor this month and all of the victims and the survivors, the ones who made it out alive, and sadly the ones who didn't, I will not only be sharing my story and my struggles of surviving the abuse and the aftermath, but I will also be sharing statistics and resources that can be essential in surviving domestic violence, in order to educate those who may not be fully aware of the turmoil of domestic violence.

As I sit here and think about my experience, as I often do, I think of how lucky I am to be alive. If it wasn't the abuse that almost killed me, it was what I experienced after I got out. Sometimes its hard to talk about, but I know that sharing my story not only aids in continued healing of my soul and the emotional scars that still remain, but it could also help other victims gain the strength and courage that is necessary to escape.

Domestic violence does not discriminate; gender, social status, etc does not play a role in domestic violence. Abuse is not just physical, but emotional, mental, verbal, and sexual as well. I personally believe that emotional abuse is almost just as bad as physical abuse, as emotional scars linger on far longer than a physical manifestation of the violence. Bruises on my face and my body have long since faded, but the scars that remain on my heart and my emotional well-being are still there. They are not visible to the outside world; they are my scars to bear, and they are visible to only me. Oh believe me, there are not as many as there used to be, as I have been healing for a long time, but they still remain. It took me a very long time to transition from a victim mindset to a survivor mindset. I decided that I could no longer let the abuse define who I was; I couldn't let it rule my life anymore. I escaped a horrible situation only by the grace of God.

So, this is just the first of 31 posts. If you are reading this, please continue to read my daily posts throughout the month. You don't have to, but I would appreciate it. My main hope is that maybe something I write strikes a nerve in someone, who may be in a situation that they are drowning in or they may know someone who doesn't realize what is happening, and can in turn help that individual. Also, if you have any questions, comments, etc- please reach out to me. I am always available.

Love and blessings, until next time.