Reclaiming Myself

What Was Taken

Domestic violence doesn’t just bruise the body it steals pieces of the soul.

My voice, my choices, my sense of worth were stripped away until I barely recognized myself. Survival became my only focus, and in that survival, parts of me went quiet.

But healing begins with remembering what was lost and daring to believe it can be reclaimed.

The Unwinding of Lies

Abuse whispers lies: You are nothing without me. You are unworthy. You are to blame.

Those words become heavy chains.

But healing is the slow, steady unwinding of those lies. It is recognizing the truth beneath them: that the abuse was never my fault, that my value is unshakable, and that love should never come with fear.

Every time I challenge an old thought, every time I speak up, I loosen another thread in the tangled web of shame.

The Reweaving of Truth

In the space where lies unravel, I begin to reconnect piece by piece, my voice returns. My choices begin to matter again. My self-worth grows roots.

The threads are delicate at first moments of courage, small acts of self-care, boundaries I once thought impossible. Yet with each stitch, I create something stronger, with truth, love, and freedom.

Writing a New Life

The past shaped me, but it no longer owns me.

Yes, it left scars, but scars are proof of survival, not signs of weakness.

Now, I choose how the story continues. With each day, I write chapters filled not with fear, but with freedom. Not with silence, but with voice. Not with erasure, but with reclamation.

Life after domestic violence is not about forgetting. It is about remembering who I am and choosing to live in a way that finally feels like mine.

The power of choosing myself.