The experience of being abused and verbally degraded is exhausting and emotionally draining. The process of building a new life takes much courage and incredible energy.

To conserve my emotional energy and resources and to avoid hard emotional times, I can do some of the following:

A. If I feel down and ready to return to a potentially abusive situation, I can ______________.

B. When I have to communicate with my partner in person or by telephone, I can ______________.

C. I can try to use "I can ..." statements with myself and to be assertive with others.

D. I can tell myself ______________ whenever I feel others are trying to control or abuse me.

E. I can read ______________ to help me feel stronger.

F. I can call ______________, ______________, and ______________ as other resources to be of support of me.

G. Other things I can do to help me feel stronger are ______________ and ______________.

H. I can attend workshops and support groups at the domestic violence program or ______________ or ______________ to gain support and strengthen my relationships with other people.

Go to Step 8

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