Women need the support of women in their lives. And if you don’t believe that here is a statement from Yale University anthropologist David Levinson based on a study he did on family violence. Mr. Levinson cites the following based on his research “women’s economic power and solidarity with other women is a powerful predictor of the absence of wife beating.”

Women who have endured domestic violence have not only been isolated from family but also not allowed to have friends. The abuser cannot maintain control if the woman has friends or family that she can talk to. The woman virtually becomes a prisoner who has been relegated to the isolation unit of the prison and the only person she is allowed to see is her jailer.

I know I lived in isolation and my jailer was my husband.  His tactics were the usual like having me spend all my free time with him, having me report all my activities to him.  When we were dating I thought how cool he wants to spend all his time with me and cared so much about me that he needed to know where I was….ha! Unfortunately over the years the isolation became so intense that I had no friends and was completely alone except for him. He controlled every aspect of my life.

So here is my warning to all women regardless of age if someone wants to spend all their time with you and needs to know where you are every moment a red flag should go up. If someone loves you they want you to be happy and want you to have your friends around you, they do not want to isolate you.

If you know a woman who have gotten into a relationship and seems to have disappeared from your life it may be time to reconnect with her to see what is going on in her life. Your support can be the turning point in helping her leave a relationship that is toxic.

Women need the support of other women!