DV Survivor

I am a survivor of domestic violence.

When I finally left, I had no job.

No money.

No support system in place.

I left with nothing but the clothes on my back.

There were days I rode city buses just to stay warm in the winter. Not because I was going somewhere—but because I had nowhere safe to be.

Leaving wasn’t brave in the way people imagine. It was terrifying. It was lonely. It was financially devastating. And it took everything I had just to survive one day at a time.

That’s why conversations like this matter.

That’s why awareness matters.

And that’s why compassion—not judgment—is so important.

If you’re still in it, please know this:

Leaving is not simple. Staying doesn’t mean weakness. And survival looks different for everyone.

And if you’ve already left—no matter how long ago—your story matters. Even if you never share it out loud.

To anyone reading this who needs to hear it:

You are not broken. You were surviving.