Many times, when people hear “domestic violence,” the thought of physical violence enters their mind. While this is certainly a type of domestic violence, it is not the only kind. Domestic violence can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and intimidation (including gaslighting), isolation, verbal abuse (coercion, threats, and blame), economic/financial abuse, reproductive coercion, digital abuse, and stalking.
Are you ever stopped in the middle of an everyday activity by the thought of a traumatic event from your past? As hard as you try, you just can’t shake the image, or perhaps it even haunts your dreams at night? Do you experience intense emotional or physical reactions to these thoughts or dreams; like your heart races, you start sweating, and you feel a sense of fear, terror, or helplessness come over you? You are not alone. Trauma does not discriminate. It can affect anyone, and it can come in many forms.
