One Imgur user’s post has recently gone viral for its horrifying portrayal of what an abusive relationship can look like. KrissyKross, who requested to be referred to by her Imgur username, told HuffPost that she decided to share the text screenshots on Monday because it was the third anniversary of her ex-husband’s sentencing.
The below messages are a devastating example of the many forms in which intimate partner violence and abuse can manifest. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, habits such as insulting partners, showing extreme jealousy, controlling a partner’s social life, damaging a partner’s property and hurting their pets are all indicative of intimate partner abuse and violence ― and KrissyKross’s ex-husband exhibited much of this abusive behavior. Over the course of their marriage, KrissyKross said that he physically, sexually and emotionally abused her.
She also said that she shared the texts years later because the stigma that surrounds women who stay in abusive relationships kept her quiet for a long time after her relationship ended. “Even on my post, a small handful of people were asking, ‘Well, why would you stay then?’” she told HuffPost. “I made very little money, I was financially dependent and I just really wanted my marriage to work. I didn’t want to give up on it. But it’s hard for people on the outside to really understand that, I suppose.”
As terrifying as the story is, KrissyKross ended her post on a positive note: “I have my own place, a decent job, my pets are doing very well. My credit is shit from the divorce but really, I’m in decent company in that. This isn’t really a sob story; I’m really proud of what I’ve done on my own.” “I think that women (and men) who manage to escape these situations should find someone they can talk to,” she said. “Don’t be ashamed,” she added. “Getting through the court dates and trying to pay bills alone on minimum wage is hard enough, but I found that my real struggle was learning to undo all the mental and emotional damage that had been done.”
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Free Yourself Global
At Transcendent Media Capital, we develop our own global campaigns which combine a range of media assets and grass roots action as well as collaborations with NGO’s globally to inform, educate, challenge myths and stereotypes and to create practical projects that contribute resources to solving issues globally. One of our current main projects, Free Yourself Global is working to challenge the myths and stereotypes surrounding domestic violence. It is the largest story curating exercise of its kind: recording of stories from recovered abusers, victims and specialists working in the field including NGO’s, psychologists, law enforcers and policy makers to name a few. It is our belief that when all stakeholders come together in a grass roots forum, we strengthen our ability to understand, address, and end the cycle of domestic abuse. Help us break the silence around this issue by sharing your story with us today! Regardless of whether you are a recovering abuser, victim and/ or professional working in this field – we want to hear from you. You can submit your story anonymously via our website FreeYourselfGlobal.com, via fb message or by simply using the hashtag #FreeYourselfGlobal
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