Leaving someone who is emotionally abusive takes a lot of strength. I know. I had to walk out on my parents 11 years ago. Even though they were both emotionally abusive, a friend of mine practically had to use a crowbar to convince me that something was wrong with the way they were treating me and to convince me to leave. He had to be in the room with me when I confronted my parents or I would have gone home with them, with my tail between my legs.

Even today, I feel they were right in treating me the way they did, even though I'm angry at them for it. I have to live hundreds of miles away from them to feel like I'm my own person and it's not far enough away for me to feel safe from them. I feel so threatened by them both, I daren't use my real name on-line. (They don't feel that they were abusive, they are offended by the idea.) I am to keep this whole part of my life a secret; that is a clear impression I got from them. I'm to just forgive and forget, or forget about seeing them and I'm alienated from the rest of my family. Whether it's because they're angry with me for leaving my parents and for ruining the family's lives or something else, I don't know. But they're barely talking to me, if at all.

I'm so scared of my parents that I will be changing my name before starting a writing career and suing anyone who attempts to publicize my old name.

It's enough to make me wish that I were never born. I'm too much trouble to anyone around me.

Leaving someone who is abusive is possible, but you will need lots of support to do it, before, during and after the process. Are there any women's shelters near you?

Silver Queen is right. You should leave him. It's not worth the additional agony.

There is a thing more crippling than cerebral palsy: the prison of your own mind.