During my first conversation with the admin at the ARMS office, she assured me that this Her Journey program was indeed perfect for me. My hands shook as I wrote the address down of where the class was being held in my area.

Would Her Journey really help me recover from abuse?

I had seen a tear-off flyer in my church’s restroom stall. What caught my eye were the words ‘abuse’ and ‘recovery’ in the same sentence. I looked at it for a few seconds and pulled the tab but left it in my purse, hidden away for a long time. Months later I read it again. ‘Abuse’ and ‘recovery’ in the same sentence. Was it really possible that someone could truly understand? Worse yet, did I even want to talk about the abuse? I had been suffering from insomnia and depression for over 25 years. I tossed the tab back in my purse but kept feeling the urge to get more information. That was when I got the courage to call ARMS.

As I prepared to go to the meeting, I felt overwhelming fear. I almost talked myself out of it. That first lesson couldn’t have been more tailored made for me. It was all about depression. After that class, I felt relief for the first time since the abuse happened. Someone finally understood me. And most importantly, I didn’t feel judged.

When I was 19, I started dating a guy who treated me really good, at least for the first 6 months.

Then one day, out of the blue, after watching an action movie, he asked me how I liked it. I told him the male actor was amazing. The next thing I knew, he hit me in the face, giving me a bloody nose and a black eye.

Later he apologized and promised it would never happen again. I wanted to believe him and because it appeared he was making an effort to change, I agreed to marry him. But it only got worse. One day I bought Ivory soap. He became so angry he beat me up, telling me that’s the kind of soap they have in jails, and he didn’t ever want to see it again.

Another time I folded the towels wrong, he beat me. Then he raped me. These are just a few of many times the abuse happened. He threatened to kill me if I left him, but I knew if I didn’t, he would kill me anyway.

Even though I filed for divorce, he continued to harass me by kicking the door in to my home, once bringing in a bat and breaking my things. The cops came but all they did was remove me from the home. Eventually I gave up on the legal system for help. They couldn’t keep him away from me.

One night he stole my car and he drove to another State where he committed murder. He’s in prison now. I can’t describe the loneliness and isolation I have felt over the years from the trauma I suffered from this man in my life, but I can tell you that when I walked through that door to that very first ARMS Her Journey meeting, I felt understood. The words of that lesson spoke straight to my heart and started my healing process. I began sleeping through the night, am off my depression medication, and my thoughts were no longer dominated by fear.

Because of ARMS, I now wake up in the morning and feel like I have a reason to live. ARMS has helped bring healing to my life that I could only dream of before. I pray it continues to help those who need it, especially the ones who are not even able to ask for help right for themselves.

 

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for each particpant to take the full 15 week course. Please consider a gift today.