Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2711

Tonight's special guest is Natasha Mason from East Haven, Connecticut, who reports, "The abuse began when I was about 5 years old by my mother's boyfriend/current ex-husband." She explains, "I basically wore a mask when I was home, I went with the flow of how things went at home. Most of the time I was in my room or I would spend the weekend at my grandmother house whenever I could and occasionally go outside. As time went on the physical abuse began. I was afraid at night, especially the nights that he drank because I didn't know what to expect when he came in. I did not get out of the abuse until I was 28 years old." Natasha gives more detail in her book, 'The Secret Everyone Knew'. "There were times I was depressed. I tried to commit suicide twice. I had low self-esteem and I did not like myself. I had a feeling that if I didn’t leave he would kill me. A week before I left he had come in one night and he had been drinking and he was threatening me with a weight. Then he said, 'I’m scared of what I’m going to do to you'.” She believed him. "My healing journey began when I started going to a support group for domestic violence. From there I had the desire to share my story, I begin going to domestic violence conferences and started writing my book. The purpose for writing my book was to let those that have experienced what I have that know that they were not alone." Natasha considers herself a work in progress in some areas. "I know some areas of recovery may take longer than others. I have peace within myself, but I still think about children that have gone through abuse and are adults now and I think about the children that are still going through and I pray for them."