What do you wish more people understood about abuse and domestic violence?

That there isn't always help. I called the police telling them my ex was not allowing me to leave, was mentally abusive, and I was scared for my life. They told me they would send an officer, a male officer, to my apartment to then determine if I actually needed help. They showed up about an hour and a half later and my ex was home again and I had to lie and say I didn't call them. That resulted in me being threatened for calling the police.

Another time the police were called on my ex and I while we were fighting, and the officers separated us. I told my officer what he was doing to me, he then walked to the other officer, told him what I said in front of my ex, and my ex proceeded to say that I was just a crazy woman and sometimes we just say things for attention. Then left me there with a man who berated me for another three hours before leaving and locking me in the house.

I also called loads of shelters in my area, since I didn't have kids with me, he wasn't physically abusing me, he wasn't threatening physical violence, there wasn't any real help for me. I got lucky when he got arrested for a probation violation and I was able to leave.

/r/AskWomen Thread