Get medical attention from your doctor or a hospital emergency room. Ask the staff to photograph your injuries and keep detailed records. Contact your family court for information about a civil protection order that does not involve criminal charges or penalties. Talk to someone. Part of the abuser s power comes from secrecy.
Victims are often ashamed to let anyone know about intimate family problems.
Go to a friend or neighbor, or call a domestic violence shelter to talk to a counselor. Plan ahead and know what you will do if you are attacked again. If you decide to leave, choose a place to go, and set aside some money. Put important papers together such as a marriage license, birth certificates, checkbooks, savings account books, social security cards and insurance information in a place where you can get them quickly. Learn to think independently.