ABSTRACT

Those who have never experienced an abusive or violent relationship often believe that upon finding a way out, victims’ difficulties are solved: their life is good, they are safe, and recovery will be swift. However, survivors know that leaving is not the end of the nightmare -- it is the beginning of an often difficult and challenging journey toward healing and happiness. It’s My Life Now offers readers the practical guidance, emotional reassurance, and psychological awareness that survivors of relationship abuse and domestic violence need to heal and reclaim their lives after leaving their abusers.

Since its publication in 2000, It's My Life Now has been highly successful as a working manual for survivors who are starting their lives over after an abusive relationship. This valuable book combines direction on practical and emotional issues with worksheets and self-exploration exercises. Now, in the second edition, Dugan and Hock include updated information and resources while encompassing a wider range of individuals and the relationships in which abuse and violence occur. The new edition also provides a new emphasis on safety assessment, which has increasingly been shown to be a critical factor in recovery. In addition, this new edition includes current resources and information about organizations for victims along with revised and enhanced strategies to help survivors move forward on the path of recovery.

part |2 pages

Part I: Looking Back

chapter 1|18 pages

Were You in an Abusive Relationship?

chapter 2|18 pages

Are You Out of Danger Now?

chapter 3|10 pages

How Could This Have Happened?

chapter 4|14 pages

The Hidden Horror: Sexual Abuse

chapter 5|8 pages

How Could You Have Loved an Abuser?

part |2 pages

Part II: Now

chapter 7|12 pages

Losing Your Partner, Your Dream, Your Life

chapter 8|18 pages

When Feelings Overwhelm You

chapter 9|12 pages

Signs of Unnished Healing

chapter 10|16 pages

What About the Children?

chapter 11|12 pages

The Reactions of Others

part |2 pages

Part III: Looking Forward

chapter 12|16 pages

Practical Considerations

chapter 13|12 pages

Beginning to Heal

chapter 14|8 pages

Believing in Yourself

chapter 15|10 pages

The Temptation to Go Back

chapter 16|10 pages

Is Your Abuser Still in Your Life?

chapter 17|10 pages

Loving Again