I am a survivor of domestic abuse.  I have made it to the other side, but not without battle scars.  I had a foster care case open for almost 7 years.  I have seen first hand how hard it is to change your life.  A journey that almost destroyed me, tore apart my family and taught me how to be me.  Unfortunately many women don't make it this far, and go back to the same situation for many different reasons.

1. Fear

2. Finances

3. Self Esteem

4. Education

I am not college educated, I am life educated.  I have learned many lessons in the past 10 years, that I never thought for a second I would ever have to experience.

I came from a middle class family, a small town girl, but had some factors that helped lead me to this life.  My biological father was abusive towards me when I was young, I had low self esteem, I  was without my family, support system with a baby, I was poor and young. 

There are 12 step programs for every addiction under the sun, but in my experience there isn't very much help for battered women.  These women need to be taught and retaught how to live, not just survive another day.

1.Counseling

2. Job Training

3.Parenting Skills

4. Basic Life Skills

I lived in a war zone for a long, long time. Waking up every morning, and waiting to hear how he walked because that is one of the ways I guaged how the day would start at least.  Never knowing one minute to the next if things would explode. At the end of the day, I would thank God if we all made it alive, and somewhat ok.   When you are in a scary, tense situation, your body kicks up adreniline, and adreniline is addictive.  I realized awhile after I left that I was addicted to the adreniline, sometimes that was the only way I knew I was alive, and that was on many occasions the only reason I stayed alive.  Later, for me that lead to panic attacks, surges of anger, insominia, ulcers and other stomach conditions.  All of which are symtoms of having PTSD. I also am a recovering drug addict, largely in part to self medication.    Everyone copes with life in different ways, and everyone's mind works differently.  I think that is one of the reasons it is hard to give one treatment for all.  I have had to treat myself.  There isn't one "right" answer, not one "right" path.  The key is to have to the tools to find your own "right" path.  What I want to do is to be able to have the right place for women to get those tools.