When we think of grief, it is often in the context of the death of a loved one. We now know that we can experience grief during any form of loss. Survivors of domestic violence are grieving for multiple losses, many of which still go unrecognized and unacknowledged. Please know that grief is not linear. There is no specific order of emotional reactions and there is no timeline for healing.
You may be grieving:
- The parent you were supposed to be
- The person you were before the abuse
- The person you wish you would have been the first time it happened
- The life your children were supposed to live
- The future you expected to have
- The relationship you deserved to have
- The way it was
- The way you wish it had been
- The person you thought they were and expected them to be
- The career or house you had
- The loss of family and friends.
Written by: Frankie Best
