Odds are that you know a woman in an abusive marriage; you just can’t tell. Abuse in a marriage isn’t only physical. It can also be verbal, financial, emotional or psychological. Many times it’s a horrifying cocktail of many or all of the above. I know. I was in one. The horrifying cocktail type. I endured every kind of abuse from my ex-husband, but it wasn’t physical. Until it was.
Abusive relationships don’t get better. If you endure one type of abuse, then the abuser will simply look for another type that will hurt you more. This is an area where being strong works to your disadvantage. You will just keep getting more and more thrown at you.
You must leave an abusive marriage. Not just for yourself, but for your children as well. Do you want to teach your daughters that they should accept the treatment you are getting from their future husbands? Do you want to teach your sons that abusive behavior is acceptable? Do you want to teach anyone that this is okay or even normal?
I ran across a great article that talks about how the abuse evolves, why women stay, and how it can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder long after the abuse ends. Here’s the link.