I escaped in 2012 broken but alive. Domestic Violence is an ongoing pattern of behaviours where one person attempts to control their partner using emotional, mental, physical, sexual, financial and/or social means. It almost always escalates over time; wearing victims down, changing their reality, breaking their spirit, causing them to question their worth and live in fear. Why I Stayed is my true story of Domestic Violence. It's a story of how I found myself in a Domestic Violence relationship, how I managed to escape and how I began to heal my soul. I heard 'Why didn't you just leave?' so many times - some with judgement but most just trying to understand - that I wanted to tell my story. To give insight into why women may stay in violent and controlling relationships longer than they should, why some never manage to leave and why so many of us are forever impacted. Written in 2017 when I was five years out, Why I Stayed is proof that there is life after Domestic Violence.