One of the repeated topics shared by clients attending Support Group is obstacles they face once they have left their abusers.  A frequently raised question by people not living in abusive relationships is, "Why doesn't she just leave?"  This question makes it sound so simple, but in reality, leaving is just the first of many difficult steps for survivors of domestic violence.
     Initially, being able to leave depends on having another place to live.  The abusers' use of isolation makes finding another living situation a major obstacle for survivors.  Once that obstacle is overcome, the next obstacle for most survivors is finding employment.  Although the average length of time needed for securing employment is six months, most survivors must have some type of employment long before that in order not to return to their abusers for financial reasons.   
     Another obstacle faced by many survivors is transportation.  Finding employment is extremely difficult if one must depend on public transportation to apply for employment, and in our community, the public transportation schedule itself becomes an obstacle for survivors who must work evenings or weekends.  Locating affordable and convenient daycare is an obstacle for many survivors.  Taking their children to daycare on the bus and then taking another bus or two to get to their place of employment and repeating this schedule at the end of a work day adds tiring hours to survivors' days.   Many survivors also have to face the obstacle of continuing pressure and threats from their abusers to return to the relationship.   For senior citizen survivors, the list of obstacles becomes even harder to surmount with the addition of physical health problems. 
     Leaving an abusive relationship and remaining independent is a difficult process and requires much courage, stamina, and perseverance to accomplish.  Even faced with these obstacles and more, survivors at Support Group report that the peace in their homes and their new found freedom from violence are worth their efforts.