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Identifying Abuse

What Is Sexual Abuse?

A comprehensive guide to recognizing sexual abuse and domestic violence | Sexual abuse is any unwanted sexual contact obtained by force, threats or when a victim is un... read more
Yes, Abusive Partners Brainwash Their Victims

Abusers deliberately make their partners feel disoriented, dependent and worthless. Learn how to recover from this type of control | “I felt like he programmed me.” “... read more
What Is Trauma Bonding?

A comprehensive guide to understanding trauma bonding | Imagine that you’re with a partner who’s abusive. They’re degrading you verbally, they’re playing psychological... read more
10 Suggestions for Coping with Loneliness in the Pandemic

Loneliness might make you feel like calling up an ex, and when abuse was involved, this is a horrible idea | Domestic abusers isolate their partners as a controlling t... read more
What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

A comprehensive guide to help you understand narcissistic personality disorder | In this guide, we’ll talk about narcissistic personality disorder, a mental disorder t... read more
Am I Being Abused?

A comprehensive guide to help you identify domestic violence and abuse | If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I being abused?” while desperately trying to convince yours... read more
What Is Domestic Violence?

A comprehensive guide to helping you understand domestic violence and abuse | Domestic violence is not always easy to spot. It doesn’t always come with bruises or a bl... read more
Seeing Abusers as Manipulators, Con Artists

A psychologist says there is a way to “unmask” an abuser and possibly avoid them before getting trapped | Abusers can be manipulative. They can gaslight you and make y... read more
You Can Call a Hotline Even If You Don't Want to Leave

10 questions you can ask an advocate that have nothing to do with shelter | Contrary to what many believe, shelter hotlines are not only for people who are looking for... read more
When Abusers Hurt Themselves to Get Victims in Trouble

Protect yourself from an abuser who self-injures to look like a victim | To dominate their partners, abusers sometimes call the police against their victims, or injure... read more
Why Abusers May Withhold Medical Care and Medication

It’s another form of power and control when abusers prevent you from seeking medical help | Imagine the immense pain and discomfort of breaking your collarbone only to... read more
How Abusers Speak

Listen for these words that could spell control, or much worse | We all know what sticks and stones can do, but the second part of that saying isn’t exactly true. Word... read more
When an Abuser Controls the Story

Abusers lie about incidents before you have a chance to tell your side | For a host of reasons—shock, embarrassment, guilt, shame, safety—it’s difficult enough to come... read more
Dating After Domestic Violence, Critical Questions to Ask

Lonely in a pandemic, domestic violence survivors face difficult choices. | With the extreme stresses of COVID-19 and social distancing, it is easy to crave a relation... read more
How Not to Fall into a Caregiving Trap with an Abuser

Safely and discreetly getting support in quarantine and beyond | When COVID-19 social distancing guidelines first went into place in Connecticut in March, Debra Greenw... read more