Welcome to Your Resource Library
Access a curated library of resources, including emergency contacts, legal aid, and advocacy tools. Each resource is selected to help you find safety, support, and clarity when you need it most.
A survivor-curated collection of compassionate, research-informed articles on recognizing and recovering from abuse.
Introduction
Welcome. This library is organized for readers who want clear, accessible information without overwhelm. Each resource is free to access and summarized in warm, plain language to help you decide whether to read more. Take breaks as needed; your safety and wellbeing come first. Every resource is vetted for accuracy, compassion, and readability.
• Abuse Is More Than Just Physical (Psychology Today)
🖇️ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-is-a-state-of-mind/202107/abuse-is-more-than-just-physical
This resource gently explores how abuse extends beyond physical harm to include verbal, emotional, financial, and other forms that can deeply affect your wellbeing. Understanding these different types of abuse—including those affecting children and elders—can help you recognize patterns and know that support is available.
Keywords: types of abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, gaslighting, financial abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, family abuse, recognizing abuse
• Emotional and Verbal Abuse (Office on Women's Health)
🖇️ https://womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/other-types/emotional-and-verbal-abuse
Summary: You deserve to understand that emotional and verbal abuse are real and harmful, even when they leave no physical marks. This resource offers clear signs of emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and control, helping you recognize unhealthy patterns and find your path to safety and healing.
Keywords: emotional abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, signs of abuse, control, manipulation, isolation, jealousy, insults, effects of abuse, getting help, domestic violence
• Narcissism vs. Abuse (The Hotline)
🖇️ https://www.thehotline.org/resources/narcissism-vs-abuse
Summary: This thoughtful article clarifies the important difference between narcissistic personality traits and abusive behavior, helping you understand that abuse is always a choice. Whether or not someone has a personality disorder, you deserve relationships built on respect and equality.
Keywords: narcissism, abuse, personality disorder, manipulation, gaslighting, control, abusive behavior, mental health, relationship dynamics, blame-shifting, narcissistic traits
• Narcissism and Abuse (The Hotline)
🖇️ https://www.thehotline.org/resources/narcissism-and-abuse
Summary: When seeking to understand an abusive partner's behavior, it's natural to wonder about diagnoses, but this compassionate resource reminds you that mental health conditions never excuse abuse. You are not responsible for your partner's choices, and healing is possible regardless of any labels.
Keywords: narcissism, abuse, mental health, personality disorder, manipulation, control, abusive behavior, accountability, blame, excuses for abuse, healing, support
• Recognizing and Healing From Narcissistic Abuse (Psychology Today)
🖇️ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/202504/recognizing-and-healing-from-narcissistic-abuse
Summary: This resource offers hope and practical guidance for understanding narcissistic abuse—from love bombing to devaluation—and provides six compassionate tips for reclaiming your safety, strength, and sense of self. You are not to blame, and healing is within your reach.
Keywords: narcissistic abuse, healing, recovery, love bombing, gaslighting, manipulation, trauma bonding, PTSD, boundaries, self-care, support, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism
• Why are Narcissistic Families Like Cults? (Amanda Robins Psychotherapy)
🖇️ https://www.amandarobinspsychotherapy.com.au/articles/why-are-narcissistic-families-like-cults
Summary: This insightful article explores how narcissistic family dynamics can mirror cult-like structures, with unquestioning obedience, shunning of dissenters, and a carefully maintained external image. Understanding these patterns can help you recognize what you've experienced and begin to break free from deeply entrenched family dysfunction.
Keywords: narcissistic families, family dynamics, cult-like behavior, golden child, scapegoat, gaslighting, control, shunning, isolation, family secrets, obedience, manipulation, independence, escape.
• Technology Safety & Privacy: A Toolkit for Survivors (National Network to End Domestic Violence)
🖇️ https://www.techsafety.org/resources-survivors
Summary: This comprehensive resource center offers vital guidance on protecting yourself from technology-facilitated abuse, including spyware, location tracking, and digital harassment. You'll find practical safety tips, privacy strategies, and tools to help you reclaim control over your digital life while planning for your safety.
Keywords: technology safety, tech abuse, spyware, digital privacy, stalking, surveillance, location tracking, online safety, cyberstalking, digital security, safety planning, apps, social media safety, technology-facilitated abuse.
• Plain-Language Legal Information for Victims of Abuse (WomensLaw.org)
🖇️ https://www.womenslaw.org
Summary: WomensLaw provides free, plain-language legal information specifically for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking across all 50 states. Whether you need to understand protection orders, custody issues, or your legal rights, this trusted resource offers clear guidance and a confidential email hotline to support you through legal challenges.
Keywords: legal information, protection orders, custody, divorce, court preparation, restraining orders, legal rights, state laws, legal resources, domestic violence law, plain language, legal help, lawyers, pro se representation.
• Enmeshed Families: When Control Is Disguised as Closeness (Psychology Today)
🖇️ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/conquering-codependency/202508/enmeshed-families-when-control-is-disguised-as-closeness
Summary: Sometimes what feels like family closeness can actually be a pattern of control that limits your independence and sense of self. This gentle resource helps you recognize enmeshment and offers compassionate strategies for setting boundaries while honoring your need for autonomy and your own life.
Keywords: enmeshment, family dynamics, boundaries, control, independence, guilt, parentification, codependency, autonomy, emotional abuse, family relationships, setting boundaries
A compassionate continuation of freely accessible educational resources for survivors, loved ones, and advocates.
Introduction
Each section below highlights a different dimension of recovery. These articles are grounded in credible psychological and advocacy research but written in clear, everyday language. If any topic feels overwhelming, pause, take a deep breath, and return when you feel ready. Healing is never a race.
• Children and Domestic Violence for Parents Fact Sheet Series (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
🖇️ https://www.nctsn.org/resources/children-and-domestic-violence-parents-fact-sheet-series
Summary: These compassionate fact sheets help parents understand how domestic violence affects children and offer guidance on keeping them safe, responding to their fears, and supporting their healing. You'll find practical advice on talking with your children, managing their behavior, and accessing help for your family's recovery journey.
Keywords: children and domestic violence, parenting, child safety, trauma, children's reactions, talking to children, child behavior, protecting children, parental support, child development, family healing, PTSD in children, resilience.
• How to Protect Yourself From Post-Separation Abuse (DomesticShelters.org)
🖇️ How to Protect Yourself From Post-Separation Abuse
Summary: Leaving an abusive relationship doesn't always mean the abuse stops—this essential guide prepares you for common post-separation tactics like legal harassment, financial control, and manipulation through children. You'll find practical strategies to protect yourself, your finances, and your wellbeing as you navigate this challenging transition.
Keywords: post-separation abuse, leaving an abuser, safety planning, financial abuse, legal abuse, custody battles, coercive control, separation, protective orders, self-protection, stalking after separation, counter-parenting.
• 5 Powerful Self-Care Tips for Abuse and Trauma Survivors (The Hotline)
🖇️ https://www.thehotline.org/resources/5-powerful-self-care-tips-for-abuse-and-trauma-survivors
Summary: Your healing journey matters, and this empowering resource offers five practical self-care strategies—from positive affirmations to creative expression—that honor your resilience and help you transform pain into strength. You deserve compassion, especially from yourself.
Keywords: self-care, healing, trauma recovery, PTSD, positive affirmations, meditation, mindfulness, art therapy, exercise, breathing exercises, abuse recovery, support, compassion
• Healing Through the Arts (The Hotline)
🖇️ https://www.thehotline.org/resources/healing-through-the-arts
Summary: Creative expression can be a powerful pathway to healing when words feel insufficient, offering you a gentle way to process trauma through art, music, movement, or other creative outlets. These activities can help you reclaim your voice, rebuild your sense of self, and discover new possibilities for your future.
Keywords: art therapy, creative expression, healing, trauma recovery, PTSD, self-care, post-traumatic growth, creativity, coping strategies, non-verbal healing, emotional wellness, resilience
A compassionate expansion of survivor-centered knowledge, featuring resources for men, menopause and the legacy of trauma on mental health.
Introduction
These articles explore how abuse can shape different aspects of health and wellbeing, especially during life transitions that already demand tenderness and care. They are written to help survivors understand the research without feeling overwhelmed, offering gentle insight into how trauma can affect the body, mind, and daily life. If anything feels heavy, it’s perfectly okay to pause — your healing unfolds at the pace that feels safest for you.
• Intimate Partner Violence Shown to Take Toll on Women's Cognitive Performance (Menopause.org)
🖇️ https://menopause.org/press-releases/intimate-partner-violence-shown-to-take-toll-on-womens-cognitive-performance
Summary: Research reveals that women who experience physical intimate partner violence may face faster declines in working memory and cognitive function, particularly during the menopause transition. This important finding highlights how abuse affects not just emotional wellbeing but also brain health, underscoring the need for comprehensive trauma-informed care.
Keywords: intimate partner violence, cognitive function, working memory, menopause, brain health, women's health, cognitive decline, abuse and cognition, midlife women, memory problems, research, health impacts of abuse.
• Emotional Abuse, PTSD Linked with Menopause Misery (Kaiser Permanente)
🖇️ https://divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/emotional-abuse-ptsd-linked-with-menopause-misery
Summary: Groundbreaking research shows that women who've experienced emotional abuse, sexual assault, or PTSD symptoms face significantly worse menopause symptoms, including sleep difficulties, night sweats, and painful intercourse. This study emphasizes the lasting health impact of trauma and the importance of healthcare providers screening for abuse history.
Keywords: emotional abuse, PTSD, menopause symptoms, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, women's health, trauma and menopause, sleep difficulties, vasomotor symptoms, healthcare screening, long-term health effects.
• MeridithFix.com (Navigating Menopause)
🖇️ meridithfix.com
Summary: Meridith Fix offers compassionate, science-informed guidance to help women understand and navigate the emotional and hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause, turning this phase into an opportunity for growth, clarity, and strength.
Keywords: perimenopause, menopause, hormones, midlife, self-care, clarity, neuroendocrine, empowerment.
• MeridithFix Substack (Power Through Perimenopause)
🖇️ meridithfix.substack.com
Summary: Through her Substack newsletter, Meridith Fix creates a warm, honest space where she shares stories, strategies, and reflections that validate the ups and downs of perimenopause — inviting you to tap into your resilience and reimagine this time as a powerful “pause.”
Keywords: newsletter, perimenopause, midlife transformation, self-reflection, resilience, recalibration, hormonal change.
• A Guide for Male Survivors of Domestic Violence (DomesticShelters.org)
🖇️ https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/ending-domestic-violence/a-guide-for-male-survivors-of-domestic-violence
Summary: This guide normalizes male survival stories by acknowledging that abuse against men can be physical, emotional, or financial, and often goes unrecognized or dismissed. It includes real survivor narratives — showing that male survivors come from diverse backgrounds — and offers gentle reassurance that asking for help or support is valid and courageous.
Keywords: male survivors, survivor stories, emotional abuse, financial abuse.
• Domestic Violence Against Men: Recognize Patterns, Seek Help (Mayo Clinic)
🖇️ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/domestic-violence-against-men
Summary: This article explains what domestic violence against men can look like — from physical abuse to emotional manipulation — and identifies common patterns such as cycles of tension, apology, and repeated abuse. Importantly, it reinforces that abuse is never the survivor’s fault, and encourages men to seek help even if resources feel limited or societal attitudes make it difficult.
Keywords: abuse signs, cycle of violence, help-seeking, emotional abuse.
• The Difficulty of Recognizing Domestic Violence Against Men (Psychology Today)
🖇️ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/invisible-bruises/202112/the-difficulty-recognizing-domestic-violence-against-men
Summary: This article tackles the emotional dimension of being a male survivor, recognizing how stereotypes about strength and masculinity make it especially hard for men to admit — even to themselves — that they are victims. It sensitively explores how many men feel alone, invisible, and ashamed, even in relationships where abuse is present.
Keywords: gender stereotypes, emotional abuse, isolation, male survivors.
• Men Can Be Victims of Abuse Too (National Domestic Violence Hotline)
🖇️ https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/
Summary: Per the National Domestic Violence Hotline, "this resource offers reassurance and factual context: according to U.S. data, “one in seven men age 18+ has been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner.” It underscores that abuse affects people of all genders, helping dispel the myth that only women can be victims."
Keywords: male victims, prevalence, intimate partner violence (IPV), awareness.
• Men's Experiences of Psychological and Other Forms of Abuse in Intimate Relationships (MDPI Academic Journal)
🖇️ www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/1/17
Summary: This qualitative research study gives voice to men's experiences of intimate partner violence, revealing patterns of psychological abuse, isolation, shame, and health deterioration, along with negative encounters with support services. The findings emphasize that abuse affects people of all genders and highlight the need for inclusive, trauma-informed responses that recognize all survivors. For easier reading, it is compassionately suggested that attention be focused on the Abstract, Introduction, Results, Discussion and Conclusion of the study.
Keywords: intimate partner violence, men as victims, psychological abuse, male survivors, emotional abuse, isolation, shame, health impacts, qualitative research, gender-inclusive support, IPV research, survivor experiences.
A compassionate expansion of survivor-centered knowledge, featuring international resources for healing, awareness, and advocacy.
Introduction
These articles reach beyond borders — geographically and emotionally. They connect survivors to global perspectives, trauma research, and long-term empowerment practices. Each is selected for clarity, emotional safety, and credibility. Many are written by psychologists, social workers, or survivor-advocates dedicated to practical recovery.
• The Survivor's Handbook (Women's Aid UK)
🖇️ https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/the-survivors-handbook/
Summary: This practical handbook provides comprehensive support and information for women experiencing domestic abuse in the UK, covering everything from understanding abuse to finding refuge, accessing legal help, and rebuilding your life. Whether you're still in a relationship or have left, this resource offers guidance tailored to your needs.
Keywords: domestic abuse UK, survivors handbook, refuge, safety planning, legal help, leaving abuse, UK resources, housing help, financial support, women's support, recovery, healing, practical guidance, Women's Aid.
• What We Do (Refuge UK)
🖇️ https://refuge.org.uk/our-work/what-we-do/
Summary: Refuge is the UK's largest specialist domestic abuse organization, providing safe accommodation, advocacy, tech abuse support, and specialized services for thousands of women and children daily. Their comprehensive approach addresses the physical, emotional, financial, and legal impacts of abuse while working toward a world free from violence against women and girls.
Keywords: refuge UK, domestic abuse services, safe accommodation, emergency housing, advocacy, IDVA, tech abuse support, 24-hour helpline, women's services, children's support, specialist services, UK domestic violence, National Domestic Abuse Helpline
• Facts About Gender-Based Violence (The Canadian Women’s Foundation)
🖇️ https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/gender-based-violence/
Summary: This page gently explains what gender-based violence is, who it affects, and how deeply it impacts lives, emphasizing that abuse can come in many forms and disproportionately hurts women, girls, and gender-diverse people — yet there is hope in understanding, community, and justice.
Keywords: gender-based violence, abuse, intimate partner violence, intersectionality, femicide, empowerment, risk populations, Canadian statistics.
• SafeLives (UK)
🖇️ https://safelives.org.uk/
Summary: SafeLives is a UK-wide charity dedicated to transforming the response to domestic abuse through survivor-led innovation, evidence-based practice, and professional training. They work with organizations across the UK to ensure every adult and child affected by abuse receives coordinated, trauma-informed support while holding perpetrators accountable.
Keywords: SafeLives UK, domestic abuse charity, professional training, MARAC, perpetrator programs, whole family approach, survivor voice, multi-agency working, best practice, domestic abuse prevention, evidence-based, trauma-informed care.
Survivor & Advocate Support
(U.S., Canada and International)
United States
-
National Domestic Violence Hotline — 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) | thehotline.org
24/7 confidential chat, phone, and text (“START” to 88788). Offers safety planning and shelter connection. -
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) — 1-800-656-4673 | www.rainn.org
Connects survivors with trained advocates and local crisis centers. -
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org
For anyone in emotional distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts. -
ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline — 1-800-4-A-CHILD (422-4453) | childhelphotline.org
Professional crisis counselors available 24/7 for children, parents, and mandated reporters.
Canada
-
ShelterSafe.ca — https://sheltersafe.ca
Interactive map linking women to shelters and hotlines in every province. -
Talk 4 Healing (Ontario) — 1-855-554-HEAL (4325) | cleoconnect.ca/organization/talk-4-healing
Culturally grounded, multilingual support for Indigenous women.
Global Support Lines
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NO MORE Global Directory — Global Directory of Hotlines and Support Services
nomoredirectory.org
Country-by-country contact information for domestic-violence hotlines and shelters.
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WomensLaw.org — womenslaw.org
Plain-language explanations of restraining orders, custody, and safety laws for all 50 states. -
National Center for Victims of Crime — victimsofcrime.org
Helpline, state victim-compensation directories, and attorney referrals. -
Legal Aid Directory (USA) — LawHelp.org
Free legal assistance database organized by state and topic.
- Child Welfare Information Gateway — childwelfare.gov
Federal clearinghouse on protecting and supporting children affected by family violence. -
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) — nctsn.org
Guidance for parents, caregivers, and clinicians working with trauma-exposed youth. -
Love Is Respect — Teen Dating Violence Hotline — 1-866-331-9474 | loveisrespect.org
Peer-led education and live chat for young people navigating unhealthy relationships.
- NNEDV — Safety Net & Economic Empowerment Program
nnedv.org
Guides survivors through digital-safety and economic-justice strategies. -
HUD — Domestic Violence Housing Protections
www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/VAWA
Explains federal protections for tenants and homeowners facing abuse. -
Local 211 Network (United Way) — 211.org
Connects callers to food, shelter, transportation, and financial-aid programs nationwide.