“I described how my ex drove dangerously to scare me, he never acknowledged it as abuse.”

I shared with my therapist some of the terrifying things my ex-husband had done to me – things that still haunt me, especially since I’m still stuck living with him (though I’m doing everything I can to leave). Instead of acknowledging my fear or validating my experience, my therapist told me to ignore it, practice mindfulness, and accept that we can’t change others.

But I wasn’t trying to change anyone! I just needed someone to tell me I wasn’t crazy – that what I was experiencing was abuse. Instead, I had to turn to Reddit to figure it out. That’s where I learned that what I was going through – like my ex intentionally driving dangerously to scare me – was emotional abuse.

My therapist? He said nothing. Not once did he acknowledge that what I was describing was abuse. I had to piece it all together on my own, and that neglect still stings.

– Lewis, Iowa City, IA