Charles' personal story

I lived with a violent female. We were both 30 at the time. She had a problem. I noticed at first how everything had to be in it's place, the house looked like no one lived there and she kept it spotless. My first mistake was to leave some beer bottles beside my chair. I did not live there at the time. She waited till everybody left and then verbally abused me about it. That was an insight of what was to come. No I did not have a drinking problem - it was a party.

I tried to be all the things she wanted but drew the line at having to mow the lawn every week whether it needed it or not. In her head it had to be done regardless.

You dare not put any condiments on her cooking or you are toast. She would start a fight about nothing. She did not need a reason. One day I heard her say from the kitchen, "why is it so fucking quiet in here?".

One of her antics was to open the car door at any speed and put her foot on the road as if she was going to jump. I always pulled up. She got out of the car, came around to my side, punched me fair in the mouth, grabbed the keys out of the ignition, threw them into the bush and stormed off. Her abuse was mental as well as physical.

I can honestly say I never hit her but she would king hit me and send my teeth through my lip on a number of occasions. Because I would not hit back she had to feel pain so she would stand there after it and pull her own hair as hard as she could.

I lasted a year. Don't you always think it will get better? I moved out and finished the relationship.

I never went out with anybody for 2 years after that and still think it affects my view of women. I am 56.