Physical violence

Being physically hurt by a partner or someone you were in a relationship with

Being hit, choked, restrained, or physically harmed by a romantic or sexual partner. This includes relationships where it only happened once and relationships where it happened so regularly it started to feel like the weather.

If some version of this is part of your story, you already know that the hardest part is rarely the memory itself. It is carrying it in a world that mostly does not want to hear about it. This fellowship exists so you do not have to carry it alone, and so you never have to explain it to someone who has no idea what it means.

What can follow an experience like this

No two people carry the same experience the same way. These are some of the effects that people with this experience often describe. Having some of them, all of them, or none of them says nothing about how real what happened to you was.

Insomnia or feeling unsafe enough to sleep Difficulty falling asleep. Ending up in the same harmful situations again The relationship that looks different at the start but ends up in the same place. Feeling disconnected from your body Not feeling at home in your own body. Going on the attack before something bad can happen When the nervous system learned that threat was coming, some people learned to meet it head on. Emotions that feel out of control Reactions that feel disproportionate to the situation. Fear of being abandoned Not just not wanting people to leave. Staying busy or moving because stillness feels unsafe When the nervous system learned that staying was dangerous, some people learned to keep moving. Rage or anger that is hard to control Anger that comes fast, feels bigger than the situation, or has caused harm to relationships or situations.

Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.

Find a meeting Join the fellowship

Need support right now?

Related experiences we cover

See everything we cover