‘BTW No Judgement!’ By Sarah Hinkes

recently read an article in the New York Times regarding the subject of coercive control. U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush spoke of her own personal experience with a “HIM”, and furthermore applauded Scotland, while admitting that the United States has a lot of catching up to do to take this very serious reality, and make it a true criminalized act. It’s time I’m brave enough to share my own journey. As you know from reading this, I am 3 out of 10 that got out, I am still today 1 out of 10 that SURVIVED! If my story helps just one woman see the signs before the abuse, then all of this will be worth it.

This was written at that time. I am open to a larger project but it has taken me seven years to get this far. In the last three years between open heart surgery for an aortic aneurysm, and in June of 2020 a brain craniotomy due to a rather persistent meningioma. Meeting and escaping “HIM” was the most intense and terrifying experience of my young life of 42 years.

For these past seven years I have let myself recover physically, emotionally, and in some cases spiritually. I have built walls around me, and over time trusted family, friends, and recently a significant other to at times break through. I am still amazed at how much I tend not to trust when in fact I have the best of intentions to do so. Even though I am not broken, I have won, I do not believe that there will ever be a moment in my life when I will ever feel truly free. That is what this does to you, so let’s together help anyone out here who has or is in this situation, give them a voice, give them strength, respectfully I am still alive, still healthy luckily, so I have to believe that this truth is meant to shared.

Thank you for your consideration.

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