How do I get involved with being a domestic violence advocate?

Question

I was a victim of domestic violence and stuck by protecting my ex even when he was prosecuted. I went against the DA and did everything I could to help him but it caused me to develop major depression, panic attacks, and PTSD.
I don't want this to happen to anyone else and want to share my story and educate others! I have no idea where to begin but I want to make a difference in some else's life!

Answer 1

most areas have a crisis center or something similar for domestic violence. This would be a place to start, check you phone book- usually in the front where the 800 hotline numbers are listed. I live in Illinois and the website for the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence is www.ilcadv.org, Iowa has the same thing, www.iacadv.org, so there is probably one for your state. CASA is the Coalition Against Sexual Assault www.ilcasa.org, again your state probably has one. Just add your state's letters before cadv.org and try that. Hope that may get you started. Good luck. I think it's great you want to help others!!

Answer 2

Is there a battered woman's shelter in your area? Volunteering to work there would, I'm sure, be a great help!

There are also a wide variety of web sites with which people can share their stories about being in similar relationships. Some you will even find here on Yahoo Answers asking for help and/or advice. If your advice comes from the heart, as I'm sure yours will, you'll be helping people just by being honest and willing to listen and offer guidance.

At what point did you decide to leave your relationship? Was there anything somebody could have done to get you to leave it sooner? I only ask because I'll bet that other people are right now in the same kind of situation you were in and are making the same decisions you did. You'll have a lot of perspective from which to help these people. Maybe you can convince them to get help quicker than you could convince yourself to get help.

If you contact your local newspaper, you might be able to find somebody interested in reporting on your story, or maybe you would be willing to write up your story yourself so that it could possibly be shared in your local paper.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful. I wouldn't wish your experience on anybody, and I hope you are able to change the lives of others for the better.