"Sadly, people living in abusive situations face a shocking reality of life. And these people are people just like you and me. This is Deborah Thomson's story; how she came to be in an abusive situation and how she regained her strength and self-confidence to leave it behind. Abuse may be threefold. Firstly, there is the direct abuse by the perpetrator. Secondly, on another level, the suffering can be intensified when there is no remorse by the abuser. Thirdly, (an often ignored area) is the judgment of others. When friends, family or the general public find out about the abuse and judge the sufferer for either staying with the abuser or leaving.