We lived in a broken home, I fixed it when I walked out.

I left with my three children all under 5 years old. No money, no plan. It was urgent. But you know what, I have three beautiful children, teens now. Who are happy, healthy, well rounded, live in a stable loving home, and are modeled healthy relationships too.

I am a much better parent now then when I was being abused by my ex husband.

It's not you. And you always have the basic human right to make choices, change your mind, and request respect. He isn't treating you with love, someone needs to treat you with love and respect, can that person be you?

That feeling of freedom to choose things, be responsible for my own life, my own money, home. A choice to have peace in the house, no violence, freedom to laugh, have fun, have interests, friends, freedom to find a partner who loves me and treats me with respect and great care.

Freedom just to be.

I hope you can find that, because we are here once, and it is not for very long. To be robbed of living is high a price. You don't deserve to be robbed of that and neither to your children.

You do not want to loose anymore of yourself in this till you have no being left.

I am very sorry you are in this situation, but I wish you the strength and courage to find your way out.

Sometimes while we are still in it we cannot see how damaging it really is. I understand the feeling of not feeling able to leave. It would be very hard for me to advise or encourage someone in an abusive relationship to stay.

Why do you think your parents or brother would be destroyed if you confided in them?