i just joined this group and wanted to share my story/experience with domestic abuse. It started like any relationship, great in the beginning. We had about a 4 hour drive distance between us but he always made the sacrifice to drive every weekend to see me. He treated me like a queen taking me out to dinner, surprising me with gifts, spoiled me for my birthday, everything was perfect. Summer rolled around and he ended up moving in with a friend cutting the travel distance in half. I started going over there spending a few nights at a time and he moved in with me at the end of summer when i had to go back to college in the fall. I noticed some red flags here and there- him not liking how i dressed and getting angry if i didnt change clothes, always asking tons of questions everytime i left the house, eventually asking for "proof" of where i was and who i was with in the form of pictures, always trying to turn arguments around on me making me feel crazy like i had no idea what i was talking about. I didn't see just how much was happening or how bad it was until after the end. I started feeling afraid. ALL. THE. TIME. I stopped seeing friends or talking to them thinking it was the easiest way to avoid fights and also would keep me from having to lie about my "great relationship" to my friends. I was wrong. the less i went out the worse i felt and the more questions he would ask whenever i did decide to go out. Looking through my phone but hiding his, expecting me to cut all ties with guy friends while he had a list of girls numbers in his phone a mile long, everything should have made me run. But i stayed stupidly hoping it would get better if i would just do what he said and if i stopped talking back during arguments. But i was a toy to him. If he noticed me looking upset he would ask then get mad at my reason saying "thats such a little thing to make a big deal about". On days i didn't feel good (which towards the end was a lot because of all the stress) he would get angry with me because i would complain about the pain and wouldnt be able to do stuff around the house (on top of holding 2 part time jobs and being in college full time). Finally a couple of weeks ago he hit me. I made a comment about a tv show he was watching, it turned into a full argument, and when i wouldnt "shut up like he wanted" he pushed me to the floor screaming in my face and hit me in the midst of me struggling to get him off me. When he felt that wasnt enough he pinned me against the wall and punched holes in the bedroom door. When i tried to call for help he tried to take my phone so it took a few hours after i kicked him out and went to work for the police to take a report via my coworkers calling the cops for me. I'm out now but it's still a battle building my confidence back, learning to trust again, and bringing back who i once was. I know I'll never be the same person i once was but i just wanted to share my story. Thank you to all that read this and feel free to comment.