Hi Viv - thanks for sharing that. I can imagine the anxiety through those years, as I experienced a bit of it myself in an earlier relationship. I know the fear and the feeling of disorientation on seeing the person. It's hard to think clearly and often the person is quite good at telling us what we want to hear at the time. In my case, I was engaged to someone who (I learned later) had a borderline personality.

I know of many women (and there are probably quite a few men as well) who have gotten themselves out of an abusive situation. Unfortunately, alot of women stay because they already have been made to feel powerless. Your testimony shows that there is a way to get out if you want to, even if you have to move with your children to another country. It also shows that the sooner we take action, the better.