How Financial Abuse Traps Survivors Day 3

Financial abuse can look like:

Control

Sabotage

Creating dependency

Financial abuse is when money, employment, financial resources, or credit information are used to control, exploit, or limit another person.

This can happen in any relationship, intimate partners, families, work, or the elderly. As with all other types of abuse, it begins slowly and over time. It may sound like:

"I'll take care of the finances. You don't have to worry about them."

"You don't need to work. I'll take care of you."

If you're thinking, "This sounds like my life!"

Take a breath.

You are not stupid and you are not foolish because you trusted someone and needing time to figure out how to become financially independent does not mean you are choosing abuse.

What can you do?

Please know that you don't have to figure everything out in one day. Don't have to announce your plans before you're ready.

If it is safe to do so, consider learning what financial resources and accounts exist in your name. Keep copies of important documents somewhere safe. Know your Social Security number, account information, insurance information, and other important records.

Check your credit reports for accounts or activity you don't recognize. If you are considering leaving, a domestic violence advocate can sometimes help you create a safety plan that includes financial concerns.

If a someone makes you feel unsafe, nervous, anxious, isolated, controlled, silenced, degraded, this is a sign of abuse and please consider reaching out to someone you trust for help, or contact a domestic violence advocate.

Someone out there needs to know they are not alone and that they can survive. Perhaps you are a parent or friend of someone trapped in an abusive relationship and need to know how to help. My goal is to share awareness, offer empowerment, and educate others about emotional traumas and domestic abuse.

Find help and info here:

National Domestic Violence Hotline- ⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠

Safe Horizon- ⁠⁠https://www.safehorizon.org/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://internationalwomenshouse.org/get-help⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/resources/national-global-organizations/international-organizations

Sexual Assault Hotline- ⁠⁠https://www.rainn.org/⁠⁠

Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS) provides advocacy services for Deaf and DeafBlind survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. ⁠⁠http://www.adwas.org/⁠⁠

Suicide prevention- ⁠⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/⁠⁠

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

Stay safe and God bless,

Mel