How many of us can honestly say that when we first heard about the coronavirus, that we didn’t really think too much of it, that we thought it won’t happen to me or that we thought it wasn’t that bad?

It is already isolating us from friends and family, stopping us from celebrating Mother’s Day, it’s taking away our jobs, it’s taking away our children’s’ education.  It’s taking away the normality of life.

When I was a victim of domestic abuse I felt extremely lonely.

The only time I was allowed on my own was when I went shopping because that was a woman’s job.

My body language spoke volumes but it was too silent for anyone to actually notice me.  My shoulders were hunched over and tense, with the weight of the world dragging me down, my smile no longer existed, my eyes were always looking down at the ground and my head bowed.  Never daring to make eye contact with anyone, even with people I had grown up with.

During those late nights when he didn’t want me to go to bed because he didn’t want to be alone, were nights filled of memories, reflection and tears.  From him.

Leaving an abusive relationship can be very difficult and dangerous.

There are so many different reasons why people stay in an abusive relationship, however, fear plays a huge part in not only leaving an abusive relationship but also staying in the relationship.  People stay because they love their perpetrator, people stay because their perpetrator has threatened to kill themselves or they have threatened to take away the children.

One of the most distressing things about being a survivor of domestic abuse is, dealing with other peoples attitudes towards the crime.  There are so many myths surrounding domestic abuse, often many putting the ouns on the victim and not focusing on the root cause, the perpetrator.

If only domestic abuse was as simple as society thinks.  I mean after all, it is still asking why don’t you just leave and saying if my partner ever hit me I would just leave.  These two things tell me that society still misunderstands domestic abuse.

Household isolation instructions as a result of coronavirus do not apply if you need to leave your home to escape domestic abuse.  If you feel at risk of abuse, there is help and support available to you, including the police, online support, helplines and refuges.   Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background.  It knows no boundaries.

I’m a survivor of domestic abuse and after leaving my own abusive relationship set up my own support group called SODA (Survivors of Domestic Abuse) which raises awareness and reduces isolation.  

The relationship between a client and their hairdresser is built on trust and for some people the salon could be the only safe space in their lives.

Clients come in, they take a seat, vent, cry, laugh and share some of their most personal and intimate details.  Going to the hairdressers gives many people an opportunity to open up to someone they trust and who they know are listening.