It has been four months and two days since I left my alcoholic abusive husband—and despite some difficulty on occasion, I’ve never felt better in my life. I am much healthier, have kicked the growing tendency to drink excessively and sometimes loose my temper which was usually set off by my abuser, and have embarked on a new aspect of my writing career. I m a published novelist, and recently began writing articles for pay on various web sites. I have several web sites and web pages of my own and I hope to broaden my writing career with this new freelance venture. I’m certainly enjoying it so far, and have already published several articles.
I love writing romantic fiction, steamy romance and erotica, but discovered I also enjoy writing articles about things I either know and have some expertise in or do research on before I write anything. It feels like I’m rediscovering myself, getting to know myself all over again—and I like what I’m finding!
Certain changes have to be made to further break from my abuser husband and those may take some time, but I’m learning how to make myself happy again, something I haven’t been in so long I forgot what happiness is until recently. Have you ever known a man whose sole goal is to provide you with everything you need and want to be happy? The new man in my life is so different from my abuser, it’s like night and day. He is one reason for the sparkle in my eyes lately, the biggest reason actually, but being able to be myself and do the things that make me happiest, like this new writing venture, --well, the two go hand in hand.
I know its only been four months, but I feel I’m set on the path perfect for me and I’m lucky I don’t have to make that journey alone. I would have done so rather than return to the abuser, but I have a wonderful man to journey with me. There can be life and love after escaping domestic violence/spousal abuse.
In helping myself, I started this new aspect of my career with a series of articles about my life at the hands of an abusive alcoholic. I won’t put those details here as it may be upsetting for others to read, but follow the links if you’d like to learn more.
http://patriciaoshierbruening.blogspot.com/Colleagues and instructor, well meaning friends with advise have always said one thing regarding writing—write what you know. I do know something about Domestic Violence and Spousal Abuse, and Alcoholism. Not only was my abuser an alcoholic, but so was my father, who died of liver disease/deterioration in 1999. In fact, I nearly was a full-fledged alcoholic myself before I left that relationship. I have some experience with it on both sides of the fence. In the aftermath of leaving the abuser after twenty years in that relationship, I am finally exploring the things that contributed to the deterioration of our relationship, everything from alcoholism to abuse, and yes, even my part in enabling and allowing it to happen. The above mentioned articles were the beginning of an informal form of self-therapy.
But I expand on those thoughts and feelings with further information on my life after the escape. That is an ongoing process as I discover other things I enjoy, doing and writing about, including resurrecting my love of history. I am currently working on some articles about Tucson, where I have lived, but known little of, the past ten years.
I write for several sites, with some articles cross-posted and others exclusive to that site. Join me as I journey further and rediscover the world around me, and myself.
