Relationships Information

Better Than Help


One thing that women in abusive relationships and their family and friends frequently request is 'help'; help to change the situation. While I understand, and can relate only too well, to their sentiment, the term 'help' makes me feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps I can clarify what I mean with an example. A woman I know believes she has found her big idea and her mission. She is constantly looking for people to 'help' her to realise her dream. (She doesn't feel that she can take charge of realising her dream herself.) So people constantly find her who promise help, but first expect her to help them - generally by paying significant sums of money towards some ill defined scheme of theirs; in very short order.

The problem with 'help' is when it is a cover for dependence. By 'help' we mean someone who will take at least partial responsibility for what we want to do. We look for this 'help', or powerful intervention, when we doubt our own adequacy.

Freeing yourself from an abusive relationship is no small matter. But looking for 'help' to do it, can lead to further disappointment. Unless you are clear about precisely what you mean and the limits of what you can expect, you may feel that what is out there is rather less than you were wishing for.

First off, any woman will need practical advice, about how to manage leaving the relationship. It is well worth becoming familiar with the information available through domestic violence organisations, like www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/domesticviolence.html.

Then, they will need practical support of the kind provided by a Refuge or Domestic Violence Support Group.

They will also need understanding of the trauma they have been through and the effect that it has had on them. They will need to understand that the very low opinion they have of themselves is all part of the trauma and can be reversed. An understanding of the mechanics of abuse is available through Domestic Violence Support groups and books such as Sandra Horley's 'The Charm Factor' and Robin Norwood's 'Women Who Love Too Much'.

They will need to internalise how this applies to them. This tends to be a longer process, requiring in depth work with someone with an understanding of this particular field, someone who specialises in working with survivors of abusive relationships.

Finally, they need to learn how to recreate their faith in, and love for, themselves. They have to build a strong foundation of self-worth and self-trust. This may sound like the hardest part of all, but it doesn't have to be. Once they have access to the appropriate tools, making the shift from hopelessness to self-realisation and positiveness becomes almost effortless.

Annie Kaszina

Joyful Coaching

An NLP Practitioner and Women's Empowerment Coach, Annie specialises in helping women who have survived abusive relationships heal relationship pain so they can reach their full emotional and personal stature.

Email:annie@joyfulcoaching.com Websites: http://www.joyfulcoaching.com, http://www.anniekaszina.com To order Annie's eBook 'The Woman You Want To Be', or subscribe to Annie's free, twice monthly ezine, go to: http://www.joyfulcoaching.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Making your long-distance relationship work
Willows Journal,  United States - 12 hours ago
You face the challenge of the “long distance relationship” -- a lifestyle choice for about 25 million people around the world. Long-distance relationships ...
Why Some Married Couples Live Apart YourTango
all 4 news articles


Building Relationships for Career Success in a Downturn Market Is ...
MSNBC - Jan 6, 2009
The key is to build these relationships with intimacy, transparency, generosity, and accountability. -- Identifying the people who can help you achieve ...


Voice of America

China, US upbeat on future of bilateral relationship
The Age, Australia - 10 hours ago
Top Chinese and US diplomats applauded 30 years of formal ties on Wednesday and expressed hope that one of the world's key bilateral relationships will stay ...
Ping Pong Match Commemorates US-China 'Ping Pong Diplomacy' Voice of America
all 235 news articles


Javno.hr

Museum of failed love offers balm for heartbreak
Reuters - 4 hours ago
The "Museum of Broken Relationships," which opened in Singapore on Wednesday, is a traveling display of items related to failed relationships donated by ...
FAILED LOVE MUSEUM Javno.hr
all 12 news articles


Restoring Trust Harder When It Is Broken Early in Relationship
AScribe (press release) - 4 hours ago
7 (AScribe Newswire) -- In relationships built on trust, a bad first impression can be harder to overcome than a betrayal that occurs after ties are ...


Tivo CEO says stepping up marketing partnerships
Reuters - 2 hours ago
O) plans to establish more marketing relationships with entertainment producers and retailers such as Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) in the current quarter and ...


The Truth About Women, Money and Relationships
TIME - 14 hours ago
07, 2009 Why are so many women reluctant to talk openly about the role money plays in their lives and relationships? Hilary Black, a veteran magazine editor ...


BoldLoft's Cupid Takes Aim with Valentine's Day Gifts for Long ...
PR Newswire (press release), NY - 2 hours ago
If you're a pair that is parted ... found itself on opposite ends of a long and winding road, BoldLoft's long distance relationships gift ideas are an oasis ...


Therapy notes: What does the credit crunch mean for relationships?
Times Online, UK - 53 minutes ago
What does the credit crunch mean for relationships? A client, 38-year-old Jennifer, sees her boyfriend, 37-year-old Alex, in a new light since he lost his ...


Fort Faith: Make your relationship with Jesus most important in 2009
Muskogee Daily Phoenix, OK - 4 hours ago
By Barrett Vanlandingham You would be hard pressed to find an issue that means more to the average person than having quality relationships. ...

Relationships - Google News

home | site map
© 2006