Ashley's Story
There was a dent in the right fender of my car. Shattered glass across my kitchen floor. Words said to me that had left marks no one else could see. Emotional abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, and reconstructive surgery are all part of my journey. My name is Ashley Addison and I am a survivor of domestic violence. I grew up in a home where shouting, screaming, and breaking things were all relatively normal occurrences. Things that seem trivial and small today, back then, caused quite an uproar. I found that as I grew older I accepted this behavior from dating partners. I found myself thinking things like, maybe I’ll be the one person to love them through this hard time or no one has ever stuck around this long- that'll show them I’m loyal. They won’t treat me the way they treat others. I found myself depressed and my life was in danger. Upon ending a previous relationship, I expressed how I’d become someone I couldn’t stand to see in the mirror. Someone who walked with her h