.Chesstina.

I had a stroke april 1st this year. This was due to stress. Childhood trauma, my best friends murder in 2023, finding out my ex of four years was dealing with everything and everybody including a man with hiv. I don't have hiv thank God but really anyone in my position would lose their mind. I have nobody out here i just had my ex and his family. I continued to launder his reputation and stayed. He was manipulative and emotionally abusive. The day before the stroke i outed him and I felt free. But my body was already over it. Narcissism and narcissistic abuse is real. Clinging to any sort of support i could, kept me with that man. His sister tried to fight me for speaking out about it. His father? I respected him a lot but he feels like i was trying to ruin his sons reputation and character...by telling the truth...Worried about his son not ending up with hiv like an uncle. His cousin friends and anybody who knew had more vitriol for me than the person who hurt me. All because I spoke out. Truth is, that man cheating wasn't even the worst thing that happened. He pressured me for sex constantly. Even knowing my sa history. He'd expose himself when I would decline intimacy. After my best friend was killed and I wasn't happy anymore (according to him) he began emotionally abusing me. He made fun of me for wanting to go to the psych hospital to get help to deal with my friends murder. After I got accepted into vet school we were on the way to celebrate and drove past the psych hospital on the way to the restaurant, he told me "i can still drop you off if you want lol" or how about the time we pulled out of the drive through and he asked for a fry out of the bag. He snapped at me because I didn't tell him it was too hot for him. How i would even know that is beyond me. But he trained me to walk on eggshells. Im at Christmas dinner and other get togethers quiet bc im still trying to keep it together and save what family and support system i thought I had physically. Everyone ignoring the big elephant in the room. He's DL. His sister tried to fight me and nobody knew he was psychologically torturing me behind closed doors. Alienation and isolation keeps ppl with abusers. Please take heed. And one more thing, ill be telling my story and experience til its backwards. I will not be intimidated. Nor will I be silenced. If you are in a similar position, if you can, leave.