Power And Control

Hello beautiful soul, I am a survivor of domestic violence… I am a doctor, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and now I am an empowered woman! I was in an emotionally abusive marriage for 36 years; sleepwalking, never understanding what emotional abuse is. Please use and share this Wheel of Awareness, so if you or someone you know are in an abusive relationship of any kind it may be recognized and you may be able to wake up and walk away to the light! I empower you to honor your own magnificence!

Love and peace, Mary Ellen

Using Economic Abuse

Preventing her from having a job, making her ask for money, giving her allowance, taking her money, not letting her know about or have access to family income.

Using Coercion & Threats

Making and/or carrying out threats to hurt her, to leave her, to commit suicide, to report her, making her drop charges and/or do illegal things

Using Intimidation

Making her afraid through looks, actions, gestures, smashing things, destroying her property, abusing pets, or displaying weapons.

Using Male Privilege

Treating her like a servant, making all the big decisions, acting like the “master”, being the one to define roles.

Using Emotional Abuse

Put-downs, making her feel bad about herself, calling her names, making her think she’s crazy, playing mind games, humiliating her, making her feel guilty, gaslighting.

Using Children

Making her feel guilty about the children, using the children to relay messages, using visitation to harass her, threatening to take the children away.

Minimizing, Denying, and Blaming

Making light of the abuse and not taking her concerns seriously, saying the abuse doesn’t happen, shifting responsibility for abusive behavior, saying she caused it.

Using Isolation

Controlling what she does, who she sees and talks to, what she reads, where she goes, limiting her outside involvement, using jealousy to justify actions.