Recovering from the Wreckage

For the last six years of my life I dealt with a controlling partner. I had very low self esteem from him always putting me down, so it didn't bother me to be treated that way. In fact I would listen to almost everything he told me to do with no questions asked. My friends and family kept telling me that I should just leave him because it wasn't right to be treated that way. But yet, I would find some lame excuse that kept me going back to him.

I was put through hell and high water with my ex. Constant arguing, teasing, name calling, and for some reason it wasn't enough to drive me off the edge. I would try so hard to explain to him how it hurt my feelings, but he would just disregard everything I said. I thought to myself time and time again, that somewhere along the line something would have to give and he would change.

In August of 2006 my son was born. Prior to my son being born we had our problems where I would leave him, but somehow always find myself going back to him. I honestly thought that my son being here would change his attitude, and we could be a family. Needless to say, if anything it made things worse. While he was at work all day my son and I had to stay home and if I had decided to go to my parents or to the store, we had a curfew. We had to be home by a certain time or he would start calling members of my family trying to "track down" where we were. It even got that bad that we were confined to two tiny bedrooms in his parent's house because he would not move out. I couldn't see letting my son grow up thinking it was okay to treat women this way.

Enough was enough. I was mentally and physically too tired to deal with it anymore. When he left for work one morning, I packed mine and my son's belongings, and left.

This is me, my son, and my hero...

Credit: JoannaStauffer

Copyright: JoannaStauffer