This is the second book in the Warning Sign series, which helps people learn the warning signs of intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic violence (DV). In this volume, I write about our marriage and how it felt, the good times and the bad. In these warning signs sections, you will learn about trauma bonding and other reasons people stay in abusive relationships. The important message is that people stay in these relationships for a variety of reasons, and we should never judge someone for making the choice to stay. People will leave when they are ready and when they are safe to leave.
Warning Signs, is my memoir about intimate partner violence (IPV), a subset of domestic violence (DV). It reads as though it is a fast-paced romance adventure story, but after every chapter there is a Warning Signs section that explains the domestic violence that was actually occurring. I am not only a DV survivor, but I am a therapist with extensive training in domestic violence principles; which I share in these Warning Signs chapters.
Warning Signs is one story in a series of three books; Volume 1 shows the story about how we met, fell in love, and began our relationship together. Volume 2 shows the story of our marriage, how our relationship changed, and why I stayed with him. Volume 3 shows how I began to understand what was happening, started questioning my trust in him, and eventually left him.
My hope is that this book can teach people the warning signs so that people can: 1) Not enter abusive relationships; 2) Leave if they are in them; 3) Help people notice if someone is in an abusive relationship, and then teach them the warning signs so they leave; 4) Help people whose loved ones have experienced abuse understand what happened and why it was hard for them to see the signs and leave; and 5) Create a global discussion so that we can change these patterns, so as a society we can work toward ending abuse.
As a community of people reading this book and people that care about survivors, I hope that we can help people make smart decisions. Share your thoughts and stories using #WarningSigns so we can grow together.