Recognizing Manipulation Tactics
By Jenn Rockefeller When we enter into relationships, we do so with the hope that the relationship will be a mutually loving one. But some relationships are not an equal partnership; rather, they are riddled with abusiveness and one-sided love. These one-sided relationships are not relationships at all. They are abusive from the start because […]
Survivor Story: I Lived with Abuse for Eight Years and Thought of It As Normal
Written by: BTSADV Survivor This past August marked my second anniversary away from my abuser. The photo on the left shows me sitting on a pile of clothes in a trashed apartment on the very last day I had ever spoken to my abuser. On the right, I stand two years later. I cannot believe […]
Survivor Story: My Abuser and His Mother Are Trying to Prevent Me from Contacting My Son
Written by: BTSADV Survivor I’m a 29-year-old married mother of three. When I was 14, I fell in love – or so I thought. My relationship with my oldest son’s father who was 18 at the time started out great. We laughed, played around, and talked all night, and we were ALWAYS together. My father […]
Survivor Story: My Abuser Isolated Me from Everything I Knew by Moving Me to Another Country
Written by: BTSADV Survivor I met my abuser back in the Philippines in May 2006. I was introduced by his niece who is also my friend while he was on vacation. He was a very charming, nice guy with a great sense of humor. He was in a relationship at that time, so I didn’t […]
Survivor Story: The Emotional Abuse Made Me Feel Insecure and Caused Issues with Anxiety
Written by: BTSADV Survivor I was only 17 years old when I met my ex-boyfriend whom I would later find out was emotionally abusive. I was in my first year of university living in the dorms, and I had sworn to myself that I wouldn’t get into anything serious too soon. And then he came […]
Survivor Story: My Abuser Isolated Me and Ruined Relationships with My Friends
Written by: BTSADV Survivor I was in an emotionally, verbally, physically, and mentally abusive relationship for about four to five years. We met while we were both away at college. At first, while I was there, I was happy and having the time of my life with my roommates. However, both of my roommates were […]