I read that in a book: "When Love Goes Wrong...What To Do When You Can't Do Anything Right"...probably 10 years ago; one of the authors has since died.

That statement made such an impact on me. Violence is violence, just as rape is rape, etc......it somehow quantifies it as different?

I am the moderator of an abused survivors' group, and overcame and transcended a childhood of abuse and poverty, only to "marry" the original abuser and try to fix the past.

After 36 years of abuse, I found the courage to do the only thing that terrified me (be alone)...get a divorce.

I didn't understand there was a name as to what was happening to me: VERBAL Abuse, until I found the book that named it and saved my life: The Verbally Abusive Relationship by Patricia Evans; I feel this book should be required reading for everyone on the planet. 1 in 3 women are being abused; I have written 3 papers; one of them is called: "Society's Hidden Epidemic''Verbal Abuse--Precursor to all violence and a Form of Biochemical Assault."

I am passionate about the subject and have been writing to the media for over 10 years.

Perhaps my memoir: Ghost Child to Triumph (from a child with no voice, to someone who speaks up against injustice).....being edited by ChattyLady ...by the way.....will open up a dialogue or get me on Oprah, finally!

www.churchabusepoetrytherapy.com (what happened to me when I got a divorce)...oh, great....now I know about spiritual....abuse

I went back to school at age 61,and won a women's scholarship; I was 1 of 10 receipients out of 1,600 applicants in the U.S. and Canada; it was easy; all I had to do was write about my life.

I've taken the horror and poverty and have done something positive with it (memoir).....I believe I was meant to do that.

Love to all, Alice (over comer and wounded-healer)