Abusive relationships come in all different packages. There is physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse...and the list could go on and on. It takes a strong person to successfully walk away from abusive situations and an even stronger one to survive the aftermath.

Yes, getting away from your abuser is best. Breaking free can be heartbreaking, exhausting and emotionally taxing. Once the relationship is over, there is an even bigger challenge. Now you have to move on. There is fear, sadness, depression, and a host of other extreme emotions you will go through.

Moving on is hard. There is a great deal of uncertainty. In many cases, your abuser was always in control of your life. Now you are starting over, and the challenges can pile up quickly. The goal is to handle them one at a time and live your life for you. It will take time, and the process will not be seamless. There will be backsliding, doubts and mistakes made along the way. It happens. Hopefully over time you can move from being the victim to a survivor.

This is a struggle I personally deal with daily. I am the survivor of an abusive relationship. I have good days and bad days. As time goes on, I am having more of the good ones than bad. My personal goal is to live without my fear running my life. I started dating my abuser because I was afraid no one else would ever like me. That is also one of the main reasons I stayed with him so long. In order to move on, I needed to focus on that goal. I needed to start living my life for me. I'm not afraid to go after what I want anymore. I am scared of getting hurt, but it is a risk I am willing to take. Not everything will work out. Life isn't perfect. I will get hurt. Things will suck, but that is just part of life.

If you want to read more about the moving on process, I write a monthly feature editorial for a literary website called Rain Tiger. You can check out my feature, and my other fellow writers segments as well.