Everything is here, arranged chronologically. If you want to understand how things unfolded, how the control started, how it escalated, how it ended, and what came after, this is the clearest path.
Post-Relationship Diary Entry: Christmas Night
“I hate that I’m scared in my own house still, nine months on. I’m here on my own and every noise I hear I think it’s him. I can’t stop crying. I hate what I’ve been turned into…”
Month Two: My Son’s Birthday
He knew I couldn’t leave my child in bed alone… didn’t he? Did he really want me to chose him over my son? He kept saying he didn’t want to worry me. But every message did exactly that…
“I’ll Call My Parents”
He began to threaten to call his parents to come and get him away from me, like I was unstable and dangerous, like he needed rescuing from me…
“You’ve got worms in your head”
Worms in my head, when I forgot something. Crazy, when I cried. Liar, when my memory didn’t line up with his version of events…
Why wouldn’t you protect your child?
For many parents in abusive relationships, leaving isn’t a simple act of escape, it’s a calculation of safety. Where every decision feels like a risk, sometimes the safest option is the one that looks strange from the outside.
Month Six: Sprained Ankle
Coercive control often begins quietly, with moments that seem absurd in hindsight, but they’re the first signs that your autonomy is being eroded piece by piece.
Submit Your Story
Domestic abuse can look very different from one relationship to another. Your experience might be something you have never felt able to talk about, or perhaps you simply want other people to know that they aren’t alone.
“Why didn’t you just leave?”
It’s a natural, human reaction to wonder why. It’s okay to have that instinct, it doesn’t make you insensitive or wrong. We’re all just trying to understand…
About Our Website
This site is for anyone affected by domestic abuse, especially coercive control, and is a space to find truth, strength and solidarity.