Stories of Courage
Sylvia’s Story
(Names changed due to confidentiality)
Without The Denise House I’d be in a mental hospital.
We were together 14 years.
We became Born Again Christians in 2008 and he went off the deep end with demons, etc.
He gave away all our money.
He was charismatic, ambitious, lots of attention when we met. (Feb); we moved in together in April; married in December. This was too fast for me but people said butterflies were normal. I realize now it was a signal that I ignored. I also broke my own rule/values about living with/sex before marriage.
The first year was great, then things went downhill. People said it was normal, that it was just the honeymoon phase ending.
We combined bank accounts. I didn’t want to but our Christian faith advised it. He would buy things and not tell me.
Then he got into porn, videos and emails with women. He became furious when I confronted him. He kicked furniture, not me. His abuse was always emotional, but the fear of him grew to where I was afraid physical abuse would follow. His anger was out of control; I remember times when I felt he was close to pushing me down the stairs.