What Happened:

My boyfriend wanted to spend all of his free time with me. I thought I loved him and so I agreed to spend most of my time with him. We worked at the same place and so I began working the same shifts as he did. He would drive me to and from work every day and call work to check on me.
All he wanted to do was stay home and watch movies together so we never went out. After three months of not seeing me my friends wanted me to go out with them for my birthday. He did not want me to go even though I promised him I would only stay for a couple of hours then I would come over to see him. He just could not handle that and so he followed me to meet my friends. He saw some guy come over and try to pick up on some of my friends. My boyfriend flew off the handle thinking I was trying to pick this guy up. He demanded that I leave and began swearing at me. When I asked him not to swear at me in anger he told me that I was putting my friends in front of his needs. I went inside to say good-bye to my friends. He and I had been fighting a lot lately and my friends missed me and wanted me to stay. When I went out to tell him I was staying his hand was bleeding everywhere. He had punched something and something told me that if I went with him I would get hit next. I told him I was staying to be with my friends and I invited him to come with me but he wanted to be alone.He began swearing at me again calling me "a lying slut and whore". That is when I knew he never really loved me so I broke-up with him and went back to my friends. I was scared and crying - I honestly knew that he would have hurt me that night had I left with him.

How I coped:

To cope I spent time with myself thinking about who I really was and what I wanted. For so long I had wanted and done every thing he had wanted I needed to know who I was with out him. My real personality had gotten lost in what he wanted. I spent lots of time with my girlfriends who reminded me of the great person I used to be.

How the situation changed:

My boyfriend and I have been broken up for almost two years now. I am happier and I stand up for myself when it comes to men. He still calls trying to get me back and I just tell him "you know we are never getting back together." He knows that he will never have me in his trap again and it also helps that we live a state a part now.

What helped me to get stronger:

My mother was the best supporter a girl could ever ask for, along side with my friends. I know that I am a strong, powerful and marvellous woman.

What I would say to someone who is being abused:

I am very aware now that I could have ended up very hurt that night. My instincts told me that something was wrong long before the night everything blew up. I have learned to trust my self and listen to my instincts because they are actually really good. The most important thing I would tell some one being abused is to trust yourself; if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.