I am not sure it helped; it was something I felt compelled to do.....my poetry was definitely healing (I think); it just all poured out. I plan to get it published.

I can say it never sounded foolish (or felt foolish) for me to have stayed as long as I did. There were reasons, and until I found the book (The Verbally Abusive Relationship by Patricia Evans), I didn't even know there was a WORD for what I was experiencing (verbal abuse); once I knew that I went on a crusade, talking, writing and trying to get the message out there.
I have always said, we can't know what we don't know.

Once I DID know; I was all over it, LOL...it took me 5 more years, but I got out.