Its time

You are not sad or stupid or hopeless. You’ve been in an abusive relationship. He and his family have been chipping away at your self worth to convince you that you can’t leave and need him (my ex and his family also did this to me). But the fact that you are taking the steps to leave shows a tremendous amount of strength and courage and intelligence.

Look up Stockholm syndrome and trauma bonding and see if any of that rings true for you.

You’re a great mom for recognizing that you need to get yourself and your son out of that situation. <3

Keep documenting the abuse. Try to get ahold of a domestic violence center in your area to get some support and advice. Find a counselor who specializes in trauma and PTSD.

I left my abusive ex a little over 2 months ago after being with him for almost 4 years. It was scary at first to leave him. Going to court and having to deal with my ex has been stressful. I’ve been scared, lonely, sad, and broken... but some moments, I feel so happy I’m not with him. I still have some leftover feelings for him that I’m not proud of, but I’ve accepted that’s part of the trauma bonding and the healing process and that my son and I deserve better.

You and your son deserve better. <3

Baby steps. You can do this. Do not feel hard on yourself if you feel weak or scared. Take it one day at a time, and remind yourself how strong you are for taking the steps to leave and protect yourself from him.

Good luck. <3

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