What Happened:

When I was in high school I was emotionally and physically abused by my boyfriend. The relationship got so bad that I lost my best friends and did not have a social life. I had to hide my bruises and if anyone did see I lied about it. I was too scared to disagree with him and I never got to state my own opinion. I was forced to have sex with him becuase I was to scared to say, "NO". The thought of me even talking to another guy as a friend was out of the picture. I was threatened not to break up with him and he hated my twin sister.
Now, I am in college and I get so mad thinking about the past. I wish that I would have told someone sooner. I still see him today at college. At first I was afraid of him. Then I started to think to myself, he can't do one thing to me. Even though he still gives me those looks that meant I was in trouble, now I don't have to worry about them.

How the situation changed:

I am dating a new guy and he knows small details about what happened in my past relationship. I still become terrified if my new boyfriend starts to raise is voice and I start to cry. Over and over, he tells me that he will never lay a finger on my in a harmful way. I do trust him.

What helped me to get stronger:

My family has been my biggest support for me. Without my them I would still be in that relationship and badly beaten. God is another major reason why I am stronger today. I know that he will guide me in the right direction and I will not have to fear my Ex-Boyfriend anymore.

What I would say to someone who is being abused:

If I knew someone else was being abused I would tell them to get out of that relationship. Love is not supposed to hurt. It is not right to be abused and you need to find someone to talk to. Believe me, it helps. I thought that I was the only one that was in an abusive relationship until I meet this girl at college. She, too, had an abusive boyfriend. It was easier to talk to her becuase you can actually relate to what she is talking about.