The Wheel: Power & Control

For those of you who have seen the following image, doesn't it bring back memories?
When I walked into my local domestic violence center, I had no idea what to expect. I was frightened by my visions of what may lie behind those doors. My fear wasn't alleviated when they requested my ID. Nor was it alleviated as I gained access to a waiting room which was behind locked doors.

I sat there anxiously wondering if women and children were going to come in with bruises and blood, or if some angry husband would gain access and come shoot us all up. I positioned myself so that I could see every door and every angle.

When the counselor called me back, she handed me informational papers, one, by one. It wasn't until I left that I actually reviewed the content. I looked at the Power and Control Wheel and thought,

Damn, this is domestic violence?

Never could I have imagined that family violence could encompass so many things. Surely I qualified, but so did a lot of other women I knew, and sadly they don't know.