Being in an abusive relationship affects every area of your life, including your social life, personal life and even professional life. When you finally escape the abusive relationship, the fear of that relationship may still linger with you. You may be afraid that your ex will come and hurt you again, or that you'll end up in another abusive relationship. Take control of your life and know that you are strong enough to handle whatever life hands you. Daily affirmations, training and the support of friends and family can help get you there.
Step 1
Find courage in yourself every day, urges Psychology Today magazine. If you were strong enough to leave an abusive partner, you already have more courage than you realize. Take time every day to look in the mirror and affirm your strength and courage to yourself before you leave the house. Recognize yourself as the stronger person you've become through your abuse.
Step 2
Get training in a wide variety of self-defense tactics. Whether you learn daily skills that could help you in a daily attack, or you choose a more structured form of self-defense like karate, learning self-defense could help you feel empowered and confident that you could protect yourself in the face of further abuse. SafetyForWomen.com offers a variety of tactics to staying safe in the face of physical abuse, from using everyday objects to protect you, to staying out of situations where you could be abused.
Step 3
Surround yourself with the support of friends and family who love and care for you, suggests the American Psychological Association. Rooming with a close friend, staying near family or just leaning on them for support can create safe havens that help you to feel stronger and more courageous every day. Rid your life of people who don't help to buoy you up or help you to feel better about yourself.
Step 4
Tell your story of abuse as often as you can. As you tell the story, you'll normalize it so you are less afraid of what happened, and help others to become stronger so they don't go through the same things that you did. As you tell your story, it will become a part of your past, instead of something that defines you daily.
Step 5
Celebrate your successes, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. If you finally feel brave enough to go out on your own, or learn a few self-defense techniques, congratulate yourself for taking the steps necessary to stop feeling fearful after abuse. Celebrate the person you've become after overcoming abuse, and allow your experiences to make you a better person overall.
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