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At first, I was in denial and didn’t want to think about the fact I was being abused – but people were looking out for me all along and never gave up on me.
For instance, my previous employer really cared about me and kept reaching out even though I kept making excuses for the abuse. At the time, I wasn’t in the right state of mind to fully accept the help or acknowledge what was happening to me. I was pushing away reality as a way of coping and defending myself against the pain and trauma.
Then one day someone left me alone in an office with the contact details for Women’s Aid and encouraged me to get in touch. It was a relief to finally start accessing support but also very painful because I was in the process of finally acknowledging that I was being abused. I felt a huge sense of shame and guilt.
I was at the start of a long journey, beginning to acknowledge that I was being treated badly in my relationship. For the first time, I began to think about the word ‘abuse’ internal...
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