Traumatic events happen to many people in many different situations. While the severity of the situation can differ, anyone who has gone through trauma will be able to relate to other victims to at least some degree. Everyone has their own ways of coping with trauma, but I have a few steps that I follow…
Music and Mental Wellness
In High School, I was proud to proclaim myself as a “band geek,” giving myself a derogatory label that somehow made sense of those awkward and uncertain years. The truth is, I never felt more content during that time of my life than when I was with my fellow bandmates, navigating the turbulent mix of…
Broken Vows: Emotional Abuse in Intimate Partnerships (part 3)
In part one and part two of this article, I discussed my early experiences of emotional abuse from my husband, including gaslighting and economic abuse–as well as my multiple thwarted attempts to leave the relationship. I disregarded a lot of awful things my husband did, such as him being mean and abusive to my oldest…
Broken Vows: Emotional Abuse in Intimate Partnerships (part 2)
In part one of this article, I discussed the different ways that my husband has emotionally abused me over the course of our relationship, including his attempts to completely isolate me. The scariest part to me now is the fact that if he had ever accomplished his goal of completing isolating me, he would’ve become…
Broken Vows: Emotional Abuse in Intimate Partnerships (part 1)
Let me start by saying this is the hardest and longest article I’ve ever had to write, but writing for me is therapeutic. I have been in an abusive relationship for five years. At first glance, my husband checks all the boxes of a perfect partner. He’s handsome and charming, and in the beginning, he…
