Not the normal type of abuse…

Hi Annie,
My husband was not verbally or physically abusive, but negligent.  He withheld affection, we didn’t go anywhere, do anything, communicate.  If I didn’t agree with him it was always his way and ‘not negotiable’. He would walk away from me rather than discuss anything and just tell me to leave him alone. Or […]

Who taught you?

Dear Annie,
You are so good at describing any and all situations of abuse in a simple and clear manner. You are direct but respectful not to victimize us women for staying with these so called men we feel so in love with/addicted to.. Where did you get your training?

Barbara
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for your kind words. […]

How do you know you’re not at fault?

Dear Annie,
How do you know when you’re not at fault?

“I’ve been married for 10 years, and just now wondering if all this time of struggling and trying to have a happy relationship, really I’m in an abusive one.
I don’t get called names, but it’s like I don’t matter. From the beginning when we’ve argued, […]

What are you NOT seeing?

Claire spent a lot of years in a toxic marriage, bringing up her 3 children the best way she could.
And – like every abused woman I’ve ever known – she made an amazingly good job of it.  She managed to give far more care, love and respect than she’d received.
How did she do it?
Let me […]

No Small Things

If you really love someone the small things will take care of themselves. Right or wrong?
In a relationship, what matters is getting the big things right, right? Get them right and the small things are just, well, ‘details’…
Allegedly.
But take a moment to think about it. How many fights have you had […]

Are you invisible?

Sara sat in the restaurant with tears trickling down her cheek, while an abusive partner ranted on about her Making Impossible Demands on him.
When she described the scene, I remembered how the same thing had happened to me (more than once, I’m sorry to say) and how devastated I’d felt.
Have you […]