I have just found this support group and I am very gratefull for it. As for telling other people about the abuse that I have received, the only thing I get in return is, ” You need to leave, you should not put up with that, You should have more respect for yourself.” All this I know to be true. What no one understands is how numb I feel, like in a dream where you can not run when you need to. Funny thing, I used to be one of those very independent, strong willed people who would not have put up with abuse for a second. So that leaves a question to myself, what happened to me? It started with verbal abuse, I could take that, my ex-husband was verbally abusive. That is why I divorced him. But now, after verbal abuse that for some reason I did not act upon, the physical abuse came. First a hard shove into a dresser that bruised my back and ribs. That was labled as my own fault for loosing my balance. Months later, a black eye and head concussion. I left for a month after that, but returned on promises of reform and never ending love. Then it was a body shot so that the bruises would not show. Each time I was trapped in the closet and could not excape. The last and most severe also happened in the closet. I was punched in the head and ribs numerous times. That time I called the police and filed a report against him. I drove myself to ER the next morning and found out that I had three broken ribs, a punctured lung and another concussion. Thank God the judge has him attending anger/battering classes. He knows he has a problem and says he is glad for the counseling, but I don’t even know if I believe him. I am still with him and desperatley wish that I was not. How did I get here? I do not expect an answer, I am just grateful to have someone, (or something) to talk to . The ironic thing? I divorced a man for less!