Ever since we were little kids our moms and dads have been telling us to stand up for ourselves to a bully and not let ourselves get pushed around. They told us to go get help if we couldn't handle it and to never let ourselves feel small.
Well, somehow from the time we were little kids with mom and dad telling us this every day to growing up and entering into adult relationships, this message often goes askew.
As defined by The National Domestic Violence Hotline, domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship. It's National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it's time for everyone to take into consideration if they are in an unhealthy situation and to get the help they need.
In today's world, more and more women are coming forward about the awful things done to them by those who couldn't care less. The actions committed seem inconsequential to the accuser, but have everlasting effects on the victim. Victims of such horrors often find themselves haunted by PTSD, depression, anxiety, and even suicide. These are the kinds of traumas we need to step up and prevent. With movements like #MeToo, now is the time to stand up for yourself and start a new chapter. Now is the time to step up to the "bully" and remember what you're worth—not tomorrow, not a few months from now while you wait and see if it gets better, NOW!
No partner should ever make the other feel as if they are worthless. Nobody should ever be able to tell you what you can and cannot do or make you feel so small and insignificant that you disappear. These kinds of actions need to be stopped. If we can stand together and not allow such things to happen, then slowly, one day at a time we can change our lives and help victims of domestic violence.
To anyone anywhere reading this and feeling as if you are in an unhealthy relationship and need help, remember that you are never alone. You should never feel embarrassed to come forward and seek help. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." We need to live by this motto every day and stand up for all we are worth!
