Woman shares story of survival from violent partner: "I wanted to live"
(CBS DETROIT) - It's a problem that one in three women and 25% of men will experience in their lives -- violence by an intimate partner.
One woman is sharing her story of survival to raise awareness about the warning signs of abuse.
To protect this survivor's identity, we won't disclose her name, but she'll be referred to as Jane Doe.
"My car keys is missing or I ain't got no air in my tire when all my tires were up from the last time I drove the car. It went from me ignoring or not paying attention to small things like that," she said.
She says when she fell in love with her ex-boyfriend, the relationship went from sweet to sour.
And it started when he began to track her whereabouts.
"Honestly, to be frank and candid, I kind of thought it was cute," she said.
"Like, you know, 'Aww, he likes me that much.' Like, 'Aww, you wanna know where I be at all times.' Not at all the case. That's the worst mistake any woman can do is think any of those type of gestures is cute."
Doe says what she considered cute gestures turned dark and ugly.
"You don't love yourself," she said. "You love them more than you love yourself because all you do is do everything for them. You're worried about how he feel. You worried about what he's going to eat tonight. You worried about where his taste buds at. You're only wanna go to the laundromat because you know his clothes dirty."
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse all fall under domestic abuse.
It can also include intimidation, threats, and stalking.
"I didn't realize in relationships that you can still be in a relationship and still be forced to have sex with someone, and he made it like an issue with me being there," Doe said. "Like I couldn't be there if I wasn't sleeping with him. Like, why give myself to you? You don't even treat me right, dude."
The coalition also reports 36% of women and roughly 26% of men experience abuse by an intimate partner in the state.
In 2019, domestic violence led to 44 murders in Michigan, where half were committed with guns.
"My whole face was blue and purple," Doe said. "He busted all the blood vessels in my face. He didn't sock me; he bit me. He was gone bite my eyes out. He'd rather me not see than to not be with me."
After gaining the courage to leave, she has a message for others who feel trapped in their relationships.
"How that looks for her identifying it, dysfunctional, combative, argumentative."
If you or someone you know is living with a violent intimate partner and needs help, call 800-799-SAFE.