Perfect TEN Nails and Beauty

Domestic abuse isn’t always a black eye... and sometimes, that’s exactly why people don’t believe you. 💜
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this is something very personal to me.
I’ve experienced domestic abuse myself, and one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with was not being believed.

Abuse isn’t only someone physically hurting you.
It can be controlling who you speak to, checking your phone, controlling money, constantly putting you down, threatening you, intimidating you, isolating you from people you love, manipulating you, gaslighting you or making you feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells. It can be cruel hurtful comments again and again and again, until you're broken and lose who you were. It can be them lying to other people that the abuse is the other way around. It can be telling you that you're overreacting when they done something cruel or made nasty comments. It can be coercing you into doing things you don't want to do. Sometimes there are no bruises for anyone else to see.
And sometimes the person causing the abuse can appear completely different to everyone outside the relationship. That doesn’t make what happens behind closed doors any less real.
I’m sharing this on my business page because I have a platform, even if it’s a small one, and if it helps one person recognise what they’re experiencing or feel believed, then it’s worth sharing.
If someone ever tells you they are being abused, please don’t immediately ask “Why don't you just leave?” or assume there must be two sides to it.
Listen. Believe them. Support them.
And if you’re reading this and recognising your own relationship in these words, there is help available, and you deserve to be taken seriously.
In Scotland, you can contact Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234, 24 hours a day.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
You never know what somebody is dealing with behind closed doors. Please share this - it might reach the person who needs to see it. 💜