Caroline Abbott > Quotes

“Perhaps you expected to feel great as soon as you escaped your abuser, and maybe you did feel a great sense of relief for a while. However, as time has passed, you may be dismayed by the extent of your emotional pain.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey to Healing After Emotional Abuse

“Leaving - and healing from - an abusive relationship is extremely stressful. Your body may show the signs of the stress. While dealing with your emotions may make sense to you, you may neglect your physical health, not realizing how much your physical health affects your emotional and spiritual health.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey to Healing After Emotional Abuse

“A pastor who counsels an abuse victim to:
- Submit to her husband
- Pray harder, or
- Be a better wife
can't help her. She should not feel guilty about looking elsewhere for help.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey through Emotional Abuse: From Bondage to Freedom

“Prepare a gentle but firm response to use the next time someone feels they have a right to comment on your life decisions. You might say something like, "I'm sure you have my best interest at heart, and I thank you for your concern. However, you didn't experience what I did, so you can't understand what I went through. I made the best decisions I could based on what happened in my life. I know you will honor my right to decide what is best for me, just as I allow you to decide what is best for you.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey to Healing After Emotional Abuse

“Learn to say to the abuser in a firm voice, "Stop it." Do not explain yourself, your needs, or what you mean. Simply call a halt to the abuse, and let that be your final word.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey through Emotional Abuse: From Bondage to Freedom

“Your husband's abuse of you feels "normal" to him. A goal of a abuser treatment program is to teach a healthier normal for the relationship.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey through Emotional Abuse: From Bondage to Freedom

“A domestic violence advocate can help you discern your level of risk from your abuser and whether you should get a civil restraining order.”
― Caroline Abbott

“An abuser's psychological diagnosis isn't the problem. Their sense of entitlement is.”
― Caroline Abbott

“When healing from abuse, taking care of your physical body is wise:
* Get sunshine daily
* Exercise regularly
* Eat a healthy diet
* Get enough sleep
* Go to the doctor when needed.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey to Healing After Emotional Abuse

“Jesus and Paul knew the Old Testament completely. Their comments about divorce were meant to add to, not replace or change, what was already written in the Old Testament about marriage and divorce.”
― Caroline Abbott, A Journey through Emotional Abuse: From Bondage to Freedom