Forget Me Not, by Amy Daumit
Today I have the honor of introducing you to someone special who is fighting against domestic violence. Meet Amy Daumit, author of Forget Me Not: learning to live with me and for me, which just came out last week. Amy is the founder of the Forget Me Not Advocacy...
Standing Up for Yourself by Using Boundaries
In my last blog I shared how to spot a bully, and gave some specific ways to combat the manipulation of a bully. This week, I would like to talk about using personal boundaries to protect yourself from these sharks. Many women are not taught how to stand up for...
Spotting and Dealing with a Bully
Remember those bullies from school? They seemed oh so powerful and strong . . . no one had the guts to stand up to them. Abusers are bullies in disguise. In the beginning they look like lambs when they are really wolves, or dolphins when they are really sharks. Those...
My Slow Journey to Health
Many abuse victims and survivors suffer from physical ailments. These are often a direct result of the abuse they've experienced though we don't often realize it. Some of these might include: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, eating disorders,...
What Issues Do You Face?
I sometimes hear people say, "Nothing good ever came from the web." I disagree. I have made friends, learned a ton, and built a support network online. Recently I was contacted by a group called IssuesIFace.com. They found my blog online, and asked me to write about...
Announcing: DV Guide for Churches
In my last blog, I shared what happened to me when I asked my church for help when I was being abused. Then I asked the question, "Have you ever sought help from your church for domestic violence? If so, what happened?" I got many responses, all of which made me sad....
Seeking Help from the Church While Being Abused
Victims of domestic violence often turn to their churches for help. Many church leaders are not educated in domestic violence and unwittingly aid the abuser instead of the victim. My Experience Many years ago, I was an abuse victim. I became afraid of my...
The Comparison Trap
Has this ever happened to you? You know something is wrong with your life, and you need to change it. Then you hear someone else's story of suffering and you think, "What do I have to complain about? I'm just a wimp! Look what that person is dealing with, it is so...
How Can You Protect Yourself from a Sociopath?
In my last blog I asked the question, are all abusers sociopaths? That is unclear, but they certainly have similarities. According to Dr. Martha Stout in her book The Sociopath Next Door, 1 in 25 Americans is a sociopath! Yikes! How do we protect ourselves from...
Are All Abusers Sociopaths?
Many domestic violence survivors believe all abusers are socio- or psychopaths. I've asked experts in the field of domestic violence if they agree. These experts say we shouldn't label abusers because if an abuser should be labeled a "sociopath," he**** would...