“What Fresh Hell Is This?” Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Describe Their Experiences of Abuse, Pain, and Depression

Traditionally, professionals working with intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors view a victim through a disciplinary lens,
examining health and safety in isolation. Using focus groups with survivors, this study explored the need to address IPV consequences
with an integrated model and begin to understand the interconnectedness between violence, health, and safety. Focus group
findings revealed that the inscription of pain on the body serves as a reminder of abuse, in turn triggering emotional and
psychological pain and disrupting social relationships. In many cases, the physical abuse had stopped but the abuser was relentless
by reminding and retraumatizing the victim repeatedly through shared parenting, prolonged court cases, etc. This increased
participants’ exhaustion and frustration, making the act of daily living overwhelming.