Description

This fictional story is based on the true events of a woman who found herself conned into a marriage based on deceit and violence. Little did Anna know that once the marriage license was signed, the threats and abuse would start almost immediately afterward. The story begins with Bill Sherwood running across Anna Schumann at a party and begins to seek her out. Romancing her daily, she was eventually taken away from all of her friends and family. He led her to believe she was the only person in his life and felt she didnt need to share herself with anyone but him. Once Bill talked her into a quick marriage, she could do nothing right. Embarrassed by her knight in shining armor turning into a black knight, she refused to reach out for help until the day he almost killed her.

In this story, Bill has undiagnosed borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is a serious mental illness. While people with BPD may lead normal lives outside of the home, their homelife is in constant turmoil. They are impulsive and have unstable relationships. Often they show signs of depression, substance abuse, or even eating disorders. BPD is often misdiagnosed, which slows down treatment. BPD has affected an estimated fourteen million Americans.

Once you have finished, there are ten questions listed for the reader to ponder. This is an excellent way to discuss in a group setting about how to deal with and understand suspected abuse. Abuse of any type is unacceptable.

I hope that this story can help others find a way to reach out to people they know or suspect is suffering abuse. There is help available everywhere, and we, as friends and neighbors, need to be there to help.