Guest Post by Andee Scarantino: “I knew he was abusive, but I begged him to allow me to stay. I fought to make that horrible reality work.

And for that, the gnawing, terrible feeling inside of me was not because of him, but rather because of me. I was disgusted with myself for not having the self-esteem to leave him. This doesn't just have to be romantic relationships. My old job was also horribly abusive.

When I reflect on it, I'm not mad at one solitary person except myself. I'm mad at myself for staying. I had the education and skills for leaving at any time, but I didn't know how. After so many years of that, I actually believed I had no worth or value.”

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