(ETA: wow there were a flurry of posts while I wrote that! This is in response to Lexie's post about the car incident) Its sad, but incidents like that are such a routine occurrence that it didn't even seem that shocking to me. It seems like I'm still realising and coming to terms with how far reaching and deep the abuse actually went, and I suspect I might be for a long time. I mean I knew it was unpleasant, but I didn't realise how very very abnormal and wrong it was.
In the last years or so I have got to know several men who, without even realising it, have shown me that his behaviour was in such contrast to how 'normal' men were and have opened my eyes to the idea that men can be kind, compassionate people. It really was a revelation! The moment my controlling father moved out the family house I moved my controlling STBXABF (eek it feels awesome to get to use that new acronym!) in and so I've never had a time without a controlling man who isolated me from healthy men. I also went to an all girls school, so never had much contract with the male half of the population.