Survivor Stories

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  Survivor: Suzanna

  After escaping abuse, my ex began to cyberstalk me | After 13 years of marriage to a man who would eventually be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, I... read more

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  Forbidden Food

  When abuse includes forced starvation and malnutrition | One of the great things about being an adult versus a kid is we get to make our own choices. We can wear wh... read more

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  When Survivors Are the Criminals

  In trying to prevent their own murders at the hands of their abusers, two survivors found themselves behind bars | Kim Dadou spent 17 years in prison for fatally sh... read more

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  Withholding Intimacy Can Be Abusive, Too

  Another type of sexual abuse includes using sex to taunt, control a victim | Michele Weston describes herself as “a smart girl with a college degree” who, for a whi... read more

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  Survivor Story: Mimi Ortiz

  I was in denial until my abuser took me hostage | It started out like any normal relationship, with the dating and the dinners. But it moved quickly and the abuse s... read more

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  Survivor Story: Mildred Muhammed

  'I was married to the D.C. Sniper' | In October 2002, a series of related shootings throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. were carried out by 4... read more

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  Running for Her Life

  One survivor tells how running helped her heal after almost losing her life to domestic violence | Liane Daniels took up running in high school, but life got in the... read more

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  Survivor Story: Amy Olsen

  ‘I felt like a prisoner of war, just trying to survive’ | I’ve blocked out a lot of my childhood, but I have flashbacks of abuse and neglect. I can remember witness... read more

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  'I Went Back'

  Why some survivors return and what happens next | In an anonymous survey on DomesticShelters.org, more than 40 percent of the 366 responders said they chose to retu... read more

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  Survivor: Jennifer

  Two abusive husbands later, one woman says all she can do is hope for a better future | I had a great childhood. I was raised by a single mom. I felt loved, but the... read more

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  Volunteering to Heal

  Could helping others help you? | Pictured above: Audrey Mabrey, right, with a fellow survivor. Audrey Mabrey’s husband wasn’t abusive during their marriage. ... read more

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  Survivor Story: Ron Blake

  'I found my own, unique way to take back my life.' | One December night six years ago, while Ron Blake was asleep in his Phoenix, Ariz., home, thr... read more

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  Survivor Story: April Hernandez-Castillo

  Actor and activist shares her story of overcoming teen dating violence | April Hernandez-Castillo is an actress with roles in the movie Freedom Writers and the TV seri... read more

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  Survivor Story: E. Marie Hall

  Enduring the deaths of her mother and sister, one survivor went on to share a message of hope | Many domestic violence survivors share their stories, hoping they ca... read more

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  Survivor Story: Amy Thomson

  She knows it’ll take her whole life to heal, but she’s grateful she escaped with her life | Survivors know their abusers and their own personal situations better th... read more