I am a Male.

[tavalon]

44. That is awful

I'm so sorry that happened to you and no, you aren't less of a man, you are more of a man for being willing to admit this. When a woman gets beaten in a relationship, there is, everywhere but on Faux "News", sympathy and it's not something to be laughed at. Unfortunately, people do tend to laugh when it's the opposite and that's a huge wrong and I really don't know why people do it.

My father and stepmother beat the crap out of each other all the time. My father would joke about his black eyes but we children were just trying, often failing, to stay the fuck out of the endless horror that was them. We didn't see it as funny, just another scary chapter in an awful childhood. I've called it Vietnam and it was a war zone for all of us.

I guess that's why I don't doubt that it happens to men. I saw it. I saw it happen to the woman in that relationship too. And of course, I experienced the violence when it was turned on me and it often was.

I've always had a zero tolerance policy for physical abuse in my relationships. Unfortunately, it wasn't until recently that I realized that I allowed mental abuse and even dealt it. That was a shock and once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it. I think that is part of why I'm very invested in being single now. It seems I haven't figured out how to find an emotionally healthy guy to be emotionally healthy with. But I know how to be kind to myself so I'm going with what works for now.

Your ex did, in fact, step over the line and I am glad you got out.