"There are so many myths about domestic violence. "If he doesn't hit you, it's not really domestic abuse."  What about being shoved into a table, hitting my head and falling unconscious? How about sitting in the passenger seat while my husband continues to slam on the brakes to see if he can wrench my back or neck out? Is it abusive to alienate me from my family and tell me for years that they don't care about me until I actually believe it? That's a mere glimpse into my story.

"If a woman stays, she must like it," is another myth that wounds me. I stayed for the sake of my children and fear of the unknown. It wasn't until l understood the cycle of abuse and the power of manipulation an abuser can hold over you that I reconciled to never returning to an abusive relationship.

My heart goes out to the women and children that pass through A New Leaf's Autumn and Faith House. And my gratitude goes out to the staff for their sensitivity, wisdom and compassion to women like me. When I couldn't leap out of the boiling water myself, they reached in and pulled me out.

Today, I am free of fear and guilt because of them and my children feel safe and secure.