1.Seek Professional Help: Consider reaching out to a therapist, counselor, or support group specialized in trauma and domestic violence. Professional guidance can provide you with coping strategies, emotional support, and a safe space to process your experiences.
2. Practice Self-Care: Prioritize your well-being by engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. This can include exercise, meditation, journaling, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing hobbies that make you feel good.
3. Set Boundaries: Establish healthy boundaries in your relationships and prioritize your own needs and safety. Recognize when a situation or person is triggering and be assertive in setting limits to protect yourself.
4. Build a Support System: Surround yourself with understanding and compassionate individuals who can offer emotional support and validation. Lean on friends, family members, or support groups who can provide encouragement and comfort during difficult times.
5. Engage in Healing Practices: Explore healing modalities such as mindfulness, yoga, art therapy, or meditation to process your emotions and release trauma stored in the body. These practices can promote relaxation, self-awareness, and emotional healing.
6. Educate Yourself: Take the time to educate yourself about domestic violence, trauma, and healthy relationships. Understanding the dynamics of abuse can empower you to recognize red flags, set boundaries, and make informed decisions in your healing journey.
7. Practice Forgiveness: Consider forgiving yourself for any perceived shortcomings or mistakes during the abusive relationship. Extend compassion and understanding to yourself as you navigate the healing process and work towards self-acceptance and self-love.
Remember, healing from domestic violence is a unique and individual journey. Be patient with yourself, seek support when needed, and prioritize your well-being as you move towards a life of empowerment, healing, and resilience.
The Bible On domestic violence
NOTE: allow for LGBTQI relationships and language preferences
The Bible does not explicitly mention domestic violence, but there are several verses that speak to the importance of love, respect, and kindness in relationships.
Ephesians 5:25-28 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."
Colossians 3:19 - "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them."
1 Peter 3:7 - "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
Proverbs 22:24-25 - "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared."
These verses emphasize the importance of love, respect, and kindness in relationships, and can be applied to the issue of domestic violence. It is important to remember that violence and abuse have no place in a healthy, God-honoring relationship.
https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence