Reading Group for Survivors of Intimate Partner Abuse, Coercion or Devaluation

“The Nature of Abusive Thinking The Mystery

Listen to the voices of these women:

He’s two different people. I feel like I’m living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He really doesn’t mean to hurt me. He just loses control. Everyone else thinks he’s great. I don’t know what it is about me that sets him off. He’s fine when he’s sober. But when he’s drunk, watch out. I feel like he’s never happy with anything I do. He’s scared me a few times, but he never touches the children. He’s a great father. He calls me disgusting names, and then an hour later he wants sex. I don’t get it. He messes up my mind sometimes. The thing is, he really understands me. Why does he do that?

THESE ARE THE WORDS of women who are describing their anxiety and inner conflict about their relationships. Each of these women knows that something is wrong—very wrong—but she can’t put her finger on what it is. Every time she thinks she’s got her partner figured out, that she finally understands what is bothering him, something new happens, something changes. The pieces refuse to fit together.”