Listener Questions Archives

Answers to Six Emotional Abuse Survivor Questions

Today’s episode is taken from a live Q&A I did a couple of months ago within the Flying Free program. In this episode, I cover the following issues:

– I keep feeling like his sadness, loss, and grief over losing me are all my fault.
– All of a sudden, my husband has a lawyer and a few other suspicious things going on. I know I need a lawyer now too, but I don’t have any money and I don’t have any time, and I’m stuck.
– I’m having a hard time speaking my own opinions without stumbling over my words.
– I feel selfish for wanting a divorce, and I feel resentful that it’s dragging out.
– I’m in an abusive marriage and I’m struggling with how not to feel hurt or react to the ways that he is harming me.
– I’ve spent the last three years dragging my feet about filing for divorce. How do I move forward?

I Don’t Consider Myself to be a Victim, so How Do I Accept the Reality of my Abusive Relationship?

Many emotional abuse victims have been accused of having a victim mentality—as if the abuse isn’t real. Some victims don’t like to be labeled a “victim.” It sounds weak and powerless. Recently, one of my listeners asked this question: “How do we accept the reality of abuse without living as a victim?”

Help! I Love My Abusive Husband So Much!

Today I’m answering some more listener questions, including, “What do I do when I love my abusive husband so much?” “Should I give my abusive husband resources and books to read about his abuse?” and “Can my abusive husband change?” I KNOW you’ve thought of that last question yourself, so stick around, and let’s have a conversation about these important topics.

What an Emotional Abuse Survivor Needs

How do we help other women who are in emotionally abusive marriages? And how can the church help these women as well?

In today’s episode, I’ll be answering a listener question about this very topic, and then I’m going to read you a letter I wrote to the church leadership at the church I was ultimately excommunicated from.

This letter highlights sixteen ways that the church can reach out and support the emotionally abused woman instead of re-abusing her, which is all too common.

What About When People Don’t Validate My Experience of Abuse?

What do I do when people disagree with my decisions? Can I get remarried if I get a divorce? What if other people don’t believe I’m being emotionally abused? What if they think I’m making a big deal out of nothing? How will I get help?

These are the questions we’ll be diving into in today’s episode!

What to Do When Our Kids Disapprove of Us

Our relationships with our kids are important to us. We raised them from little babies and have deep connections with them, but when those relationships crumble, it can be devastating. Let’s answer some difficult questions about relationships with our kids and how we can navigate through them when our children disapprove of us and our decisions.

What if My Christian Husband Says My Body Belongs to Him?

Let’s answer some more listener questions today! These questions include, “How do I respond to my husband who says that ‘Your body belongs to me, and you don’t have any biblical grounds to say no when I want sex’?” “How can we continue to do the work of unraveling purity culture’s effects if we’re not in a healthy marriage?” and “What type of counselor should I be looking for?”

If you’re looking for some Biblical truth, a *few* snarky comments, and some very practical advice, you’re looking in the right place.

Do Christian Women Ever Get Out of Their Abusive Marriage and Thrive?

Let’s get practical today. In this episode, I answer four listener questions by directing you to the best resources I can offer from the Flying Free Podcast. These questions range from “At what point do you refuse to have sex with your husband if he is emotionally abusive?” to “Any recommendations or resources as I go into divorce court?”

After you listen to the episode, be sure to go down to the “Related Resources” section of the show notes to grab all the links to the podcast episodes that are recommended. They are absolute gems!

Will God Punish Me if I Get a Divorce?

Have you ever been sitting in a women’s Bible study when all of a sudden the Bible study curriculum asks a leading question, taking the verses you just read completely out of context, and now you feel confused and upset but like you need to nod your head “yes” to the rubbish you just heard?

Or have you ever wanted to leave your abusive marriage, but you find yourself continuously coming back to your abuser because 1. You feel bad for him 2. Your biblical counselor told you that you can’t leave and/or 3. You’re afraid God will punish you if you leave?

You’re not alone in this battle. Come sit down and listen while I answer some listener questions in an episode that will teach you all about how to NOT twist the Bible, how to NOT take responsibility for your abuser’s emotions, and how to NOT resist change and pain. Because change and pain can be really, really good things.

Exploring Listener Questions