Walking away from Domestic Violence i learnt

Four years ago, I made the bravest decision of my life - I walked away from domestic violence. Looking back now, the journey has taught me lessons I never expected to learn.

You know what hit me first? The shocking reality that the very systems meant to protect women like me are broken. I found myself navigating through a maze of bureaucracy, fighting battles I wasn't prepared for. No one tells you that you'll have to become your own strongest advocate, that you'll need to learn to speak up.

The physical scars may fade, but the invisible ones they're different. I discovered how deeply abuse rewires your brain, how it leaves its fingerprints on your nervous system. Some days, my body still remembers the trauma, still teaching it im safe. I've had to learn to live with these physical echoes of my assault.

One of the hardest lessons? You absolutely cannot do this alone. I tried oh, how I tried. But recovery needs a village therapists, support groups, friends who understand. Personal development became my lifeline, living with out anger, boundaries, i am worthy and domestic violence courses, i had to rebuild myself from the ground up, piece by piece.

The impact on my children Watching them process their own trauma opened my eyes to how domestic violence ripples through generations. They're resilient, yes, but they shouldn't have had to be.

But perhaps the biggest lesson was learning what love should actually look like. Real love doesn't hurt. It doesn't control. It doesn't diminish. It took me four years to understand that love should make you feel bigger, not smaller. Safer, not scared.

The systems still need fixing desperately. But I'm stronger now, wiser. I understand my worth, and I know what I deserve. To anyone out there still trapped in the cycle there is life after abuse. It's not easy, but it's worth every step of the journey. You deserve peace. You deserve happiness You deserve real, gentle, kind love. And it exists, I promise you that.