RADV Article: A Smile Belongs on Your Face
There may have been a time when smiling came naturally to you. Before you learned to watch every word.Before you wondered what kind of mood someone would be in.Before the criticism, fear, and constant tension slowly stole the joy from your days. Abuse has a way of doing that. It can make laughter feel dangerous. […]
RADV Article: When Rejection Hits a Man Hard
Rejection can cut deeper than many men will ever admit. A relationship ends. A spouse pulls away. Someone says, “I don’t love you anymore.” A job is lost. A friendship disappears. A child stops calling. A man reaches out for help and feels ignored. On the outside, he may look like he is handling it. […]
RADV Article: Paying It Forward—Becoming the Bridge for Someone Else
There are moments in life when we survive only because someone chose not to look the other way. Maybe they listened when no one else believed us. Maybe they offered a safe place, shared a phone number, stood beside us in court, or reminded us that we were worth saving. They may not have been […]
RADV Article: When Survival Follows You Home—Understanding CPTSD
The abuse may be over. The door may be locked.The court case may be finished.The survivor may finally be somewhere safe. But inside, their mind and body may still be fighting to survive. This is one of the hardest parts of domestic violence for others to understand. Leaving the abusive relationship does not automatically erase […]
FROM THE ARCHIVES — AUGUST 17, 2017
This graphic may come from RADV’s early years, but its message remains just as important today: “We need your voice to help spread awareness about domestic violence.” Looking back reminds us how far RADV has come—but it also reminds us why we started. Every person who speaks up, shares a resource, believes a survivor, or […]
RADV Article: What It Means to Be a Survivor
The word survivor can sound simple until you understand everything a person may have endured to earn it. Being a survivor does not mean the abuse no longer hurts. It does not mean every wound has healed or every memory has faded. It does not mean fear never returns or that you always feel strong. […]
RADV Article: It Takes a Village
We have all heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But sometimes, it also takes a village to help a survivor find their way home to themselves. Domestic violence thrives in isolation. An abuser may slowly separate a survivor from family, friends, finances, transportation, faith, and every source of support they […]
RADV Article: To Quit Is Not an Option
There are days when survival feels like riding straight into a storm. You are tired. Your heart is heavy. The road ahead is hard to see, and everything inside you wants to pull over and stop trying. Rest if you need to. Cry if you need to. Ask for help if you need to. But […]
RADV Article: Resilience — You’re Still Here
Resilience doesn’t always look like strength. Sometimes it looks like sitting on the edge of the bed in the morning, wondering how you’re going to face another day—and then putting your feet on the floor anyway. Sometimes it looks like crying in the shower so nobody hears you. Sometimes it looks like driving to work […]
RADV Article: Getting Your Life Back
Abuse has a way of making your life feel like it no longer belongs to you. Your choices become smaller. Your voice grows quieter. You begin planning your days around someone else’s moods, reactions, and demands. Little by little, you may lose touch with the person you were before survival became your full-time job. But […]