My ex-husband started using painkillers three years into our relationship after his car wreck like candy. On top of that he went on a depression medicine that was in the beginning phases of human testing (he had a shitty doctor). I tried to get him into rehab, then counseling, all failed. He started to get very very defensive and aggressive shortly after that. I brought it up to his parents, because I trusted them, but they brushed it off and said he just needed some time. One day I come home and he had joined the Navy. Like full blown joined without even mentioning it. I didn't even freak out, but part of me was freaking. I just decided if that was what he needed then okay, I'm a supportive wife. A week later he goes off the antidepressants and starts freaking out, ripping doors off our apartment, breaking everything and hitting me several times and breaking my wrist. I leave and go to a friends with our guns (we had a few for personal use), and call a few family members and friends to explain the situation. I want to help him. I call his family, but can't get them to meet me. His parents and two brothers decide that I'm lying. Even though our apartment is trashed, I have photos and the neighbors confirm the night (he shattered my phone so I used his to call for help) he convinces them that I'm crazy and cheating on him. They file a police report and paid for a private lawyer to sue me and have the guns given back to him. My divorce took 3 years (because he couldn't get out of boot camp and his deployment) and even though I proved domestic abuse, his parents to this day think that I manipulated/lied/twisted everyone (including judges and police) to ruin their son's reputation.

I'm so much better off, but sometimes I think about it and think it was some bad nightmare.