A Terrible Secret
I can guarantee that the experience this abused woman is describing on her video-gone-viral is happening to many others ? maybe even women (or men) on your block!
One of the biggest mistakes that a woman who is abused makes is keeping her trauma hidden. Often she feels as if the abuse is her fault ? her?abuser tells her so. That leaves her feeling guilty and ashamed.
The?victim?learns how to hide the bruises. She thinks she loves him and hopes that he will stop, but he never does. The, ?I’m sorries,? regrets, and gifts become lesser and less frequent. But the abuse not only continues, it usually worsens.
Then it becomes a matter of fear. What will he do if she tries to leave? Will he find her? Will he hurt her, her children, or her pets?
Meet Emma Murphy
Emma Murphy lives in Dublin where she is a fitness blogger and mother of two. She has run the gamut of feelings that abused women experience.
Murphy has done something quite unusual, though. She has gone public by posting a video that describes how she worked through her experience. The black eye tells us she has been battered, and she tells us about what has happened to her,
“I thought long and hard before posting this video, this is very difficult for me but I have to do what is RIGHT, if you or anyone you know has it is in a similar situation please share this video to inspire other women around the world, violence is NOT the answer!!!!”
? Posted to Facebook by?Emma Murphy?on July 6, 2015
Murphy has begun the process of escaping. It took a huge amount of courage to post her video, but she did it.
Leaving An Abuser
An abuse victim should make a safety plan detailing where she will go and how she will get there.
Here are some other points to consider when leaving an abuser:
- An abuse victim is often in the most danger when she leaves or immediately after she has left.
- On average, abuse victims leave seven times before they are able to stay away permanently. However, it is possible to leave in one attempt.
- After an abused person escapes, she faces a daunting task: rebuilding her life and healing the emotional wounds she and her children, if any,?carry.
Abuse And PTSD
Psychology Today?reminds us that abused women have been living in a private hell, a war zone,
?Even those of us who have managed to move on from crippling abusive relations can suffer the aftershock of abuse ? in other words, PTSD ? for many years. PTSD from abuse is characterized by symptoms such as flashbacks, intrusive imagery, nightmares, anxiety, emotional numbing, insomnia, hyper-vigilance, and avoidance of traumatic triggers.?
But people can make it. They can overcome PTSD and succeed. They can have a real life again.
You Are Not Alone
Here are the names of some people you might recognize ? people who escaped to freedom:
- Rihanna
- Madonna
- Tina Turner
- Meredith Vieira
- Evan Peters
- Halle Berry
- Lionel Richie
Murphy’s Viral Video
Watch Emma’s video here:
Remember, this can happen to anyone.
h/t: Upworthy
