Healing from abuse can be a life long struggle. Many of us never get the opportunity to confront our abusers. Inside this book, you'll read letters from those who have lived through horrific trials of abuse, but this book is not written by victims -- it is written by survivors who have used this tool as an outlet to share anonymously the pain and the turmoil, the hurt and the sadness, but also the triumph over tragedy. These survivors open up and share their letters with the world so the healing can begin. You are not alone. If you are a victim of abuse, please call 1-800-SURVIVORS (787848677) for help. There is no such thing as "I deserved it."
Domestic violence and sexual assault is an epidemic that needs to be stopped through awareness, education, and advocacy for the victims. In a candid sequel to I Am a Survivor, Sophia Moreno rehashes her experiences through letters to her abusers that not only reveal a glimpse into her journey through domestic violence and sexual assault, but also help remind the abused that they are not alone. While educating the community through true stories she hopes will bring awareness and inspire conversations, Sophia shares insight into her molester, messages to her various abusers as well as herself, the signs of gaslighting, tips and steps to support survivors of abuse, myths and facts about sexual trauma, and valuable resources such as national hotlines, important websites, statistics, sample letters, and themed movies. A Message to My Abuser is a collection of personal letters, messages, and helpful tips offered to inspire the abused to rise above their suffering, heal, and ultimately thrive.
In this groundbreaking bestseller, Lundy Bancroft—a counselor who specializes in working with abusive men—uses his knowledge about how abusers think to help women recognize when they are being controlled or devalued, and to find ways to get free of an abusive relationship. He says he loves you. So...why does he do that? You’ve asked yourself this question again and again. Now you have the chance to see inside the minds of angry and controlling men—and change your life. In Why Does He Do That? you will learn about: • The early warning signs of abuse • The nature of abusive thinking • Myths about abusers • Ten abusive personality types • The role of drugs and alcohol • What you can fix, and what you can’t • And how to get out of an abusive relationship safely “This is without a doubt the most informative and useful book yet written on the subject of abusive men. Women who are armed with the insights found in these pages will be on the road to recovering control of their lives.”—Jay G. Silverman, Ph.D., Director, Violence Prevention Programs, Harvard School of Public Health
Beauty and shame, jail and forgiveness. Andrea Smith was by all appearances living the perfect life, yet in an instant it all changed. Now, shame is her only company as she leaves her husband and children to check into the Pima County Jail of Tucson, Arizona, bringing to the forefront all the emotional and physical scars she has been hiding. From her first strip search to her final release, Andrea's honest, touching memoir offers a rare look into the lives of those who are behind bars. Scarred Beautiful eloquently chronicles her journey to find forgiveness and discover the good in tragedy and the beauty in her flaws as she learns to overcome shame and allow God to comfort her through the most unexpected people. And although her incarceration threatens to break her spirit, Andrea Smith emerges with a new perspective about what is most precious and cherished in her life. Her story is one of courage and faith...and the unlikely gift of adversity.
One out of three married women sitting in an average conservative Christian church is in a confusing and painful marriage relationship. Those women believe they are alone. I want them to know they aren't. They believe they can't find peace. I want them to know they can. They believe they don't have choices. I want them to know they do.This book isn't for the parents who raised them. It's not for the pastors who condemn them. It's not for the friends who don't understand them. And it's not for the partner who dehumanizes them. This book is for the woman in the pew who somehow, by God's divine intervention, finds it in her hand and has to catch her breath because she suddenly feels like she's free falling.I wrote this book just for you. Let's dig in.
2018 International Book Awards FinalistBest New Non-FictionSelf-Help: RelationshipsThis new book is an important tool for anyone in an abusive relationship. Written in a loose narrative style that makes the reader a part of the story, it empowers and heals combining psychology, counseling, domestic violence, child development, and Christian principles.The author's multilayered background, as well as her own experience and that of a close friend, come together in a book you'll read again and again, and share with a friend.The bonus at the back of the book: a YouTube link to a song written for the book that helps the reader grieve-an essential part of recovery.Follow the journey of an inspired survivor who emerges stronger and wiser after accepting God's gift-a gift she's had all along. Each chapter delivers a message of it's own in a beautifully written, insightful story. Thoughtfully crafted in a short, powerful read, A Letter to a Friend offers renewed hope for love, comfort, and protection.
The New York Times bestseller: “[A] brutally honest memoir of a brave, smart, fresh-faced young woman’s descent into domestic hell.” —Monica Holloway, author of Driving with Dead People At 22, Leslie Morgan Steiner seemed to have it all: a Harvard diploma, a glamorous job at Seventeen magazine, a downtown New York City apartment. Plus a handsome, funny, street-smart boyfriend who adored her. But behind her façade of success, this golden girl hid a dark secret. She’d made a mistake shared by millions: she fell in love with the wrong person. At first Leslie and Conor seemed as perfect together as their fairy-tale wedding. Then came the fights she tried to ignore: he pushed her down the stairs of the house they bought together, poured coffee grinds over her hair as she dressed for a critical job interview, choked her during an argument, and threatened her with a gun. Several times, he came close to making good on his threat to kill her. With each attack, Leslie lost another piece of herself. Gripping and utterly compelling, Crazy Love takes you inside the violent, devastating world of abusive love. Conor said he’d been abused since he was a young boy, and love and rage danced intimately together in his psyche. Why didn’t Leslie leave? She stayed because she loved him. Find out for yourself if she had fallen truly in love—or into a psychological trap. Crazy Love will draw you in—and never let go. “Compulsively readable.” —People “A must read for anyone in a consuming relationship.” —Iris Krasnow, New York Times–bestselling author
A daily journal for women wondering if their husband's behavior is abusive. For women trying to determine if they should leave or stay. To help women decide if they want to divorce. A daily journal to help victims understand the reality and severity of their situation. For women who are considering separation or divorce due to their husband's lying, gaslighting, infidelity, emotional abuse, narcissistic behaviors. Visit btr.org for more information, and listen to the Betrayal Trauma Recovery podcast found on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and other podcasting platforms.
Drawing on cases, Stark identifies the problems with our current approach to domestic violence, outlines the components of coercive control, and then uses this alternate framework to analyse the cases of battered women charged with criminal offenses directed at their abusers.
Second Edition; Why Is He So Mean to Me? offers a sobering look at verbal and emotional abuse and the confusing, chaotic and debilitating commonalities of the enabler-abuser relationship. The second edition more deeply explores the highly predictable abuse dynamic and unveils the abuser's mindset and many of the tactics in his arsenal. It also provides an in-depth look at the victim's efforts to earn her abuser's love, why those efforts fail, how the abuser will likely respond when her actions and responses to the abuse change, and how to see through his mind games and traps. Why Is He So Mean to Me? provides a wealth of valuable, firsthand insight, the kind of clarity a confused victim needs to begin the process of reclaiming her value and her life. I have been where you are. You are not crazy. You are not alone. And you don't have to live this way. - Cindy Burrell
