Abusive relationships are more common than you think; however, many people don’t call them that or don’t know that is what they are. Some find the word abusive too harsh, while others don’t know how to define abuse, to begin with. Some of the things that people said to me once I left an abusive relationship, made me feel judged and criticized in a time when I needed support. I don’t hold it against them though, I know how hard it is to understand. It took me a long time to get it myself. I also know most people meant well. They simply didn’t understand the dynamics that are present in an abusive relationship. Not a lot of people talk about abuse so knowing what it is like and the signs are not common knowledge. Below are the lessons I learned from my own experience, and from times I got…
Possibly the most hurtful part of my sexual assault was the church that failed me in the aftermath. A place that had been my home, people who had professed friendship, kinship, sisterhood, and family left me as so much collateral damage. I get it, I do. I know I wouldn’t shut up about it and it wore on you all. I get it, he denied it and what could you do? Uhhhh, a lot more than the nothing that resulted. A lot more than telling me, it can’t be about what he did, but about how you felt. I’m assuming that you, as a rational blog reader, see how ILLOGICAL that is, right? trauma isn’t so neat as two solid cry fests and then BAM! Healed! It’s just, trauma isn’t so neat as two solid cry fests and then BAM! Healed! It isn’t so neat as ‘write him a letter about…
Jealousy can come across as something that’s desirable in a partner — especially how it is portrayed in certain movies and books. But is it really that romantic? In our culture jealousy is often seen as a normalized behaviour. It’s said that everyone gets jealous because we are human and it just happens. Not always necessarily seen as a good thing, but when things get normalized, those with bad intentions use that to excuse their deplorable behaviour. When a man uses jealousy as an excuse to have a right to act out in a certain way or worse yet, control you, that is not okay. Jealousy is not a valid reason to treat someone else poorly. Especially if they blame the other person for their own behaviour or say something like: I just love you so much that is why I am acting like this. The good news is…