đź’” When Everything Changed: Reclaiming Your Voice After Divorce and Emotional Abuse
⚠️ Trigger Warning
This article discusses emotional abuse, narcissistic relationships, and recovery after divorce. These topics may be difficult for some readers. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
You are not alone. Help is available.
🌅 The Moment Everything Changed
In this powerful episode of Bent Not Broken, I had the privilege of sitting down with Wendy Babcock, award-winning songwriter, speaker, and founder of When Stories — a platform dedicated to helping women transform their pain into purpose.
Wendy’s journey is one of unimaginable courage. At just sixteen, she entered a relationship with a man thirteen years her senior. Over time, the red flags turned into patterns of control, isolation, and emotional abuse. By the time she was a young mother, Wendy’s every move was monitored — every phone call, every outing, every moment of independence questioned.
But there came a day — standing alone in an empty trailer with her two children — when she knew something had to change. That day became her when moment: the turning point where fear met freedom.
🕊️ Healing After Divorce: Redefining Freedom
For Wendy, freedom wasn’t about grand gestures — it was about simple moments.
“Freedom now,” she said, “is not worrying if I run to the store or stop for gas. It’s being able to stay up and watch TV without feeling guilty. It’s the little freedoms that mean the most.”
Recovering from divorce after emotional abuse is rarely a straight path. It’s layered with grief, confusion, and the slow rebuilding of identity. Wendy shared how therapy, songwriting, and personal growth helped her reclaim the pieces of herself that had been silenced for so long.
✍️ Reclaiming the Pen
Perhaps one of the most powerful parts of Wendy’s story is her decision to take back the pen — to stop letting others write her story. For years, her voice had been suppressed by fear and manipulation. When she began writing songs and journaling as a child, it was her way of being heard on paper.
That same creativity later became her lifeline. Through storytelling, she found not only healing for herself but also a way to empower other women to speak their truths.
đź’¬ From Survivor to Storyteller
Wendy’s transformation from a silenced survivor to the founder of When Stories was born out of a simple question she began asking others:
“When did everything change for you?”
That question became the foundation of her movement — a platform where women can share their defining “when” moments and turn them into talks, books, and movements that create ripple effects of healing.
In her words:
“Stories are what connect us. They build bridges of understanding. When we speak, we remind others they’re not alone.”
đź’– For Those Recovering from Divorce
If you’re in the process of recovering from divorce, know this: your freedom might start as a whisper, but it grows stronger each time you honor your truth. Healing doesn’t happen overnight — it happens in the small, consistent acts of self-love, courage, and faith.
“There is so much life on the other side of this,” Wendy reminded listeners. “Even when you can’t see it yet, it’s waiting for you.”
🌻 A Final Word of Encouragement
Wendy’s journey reminds us that even in the most broken places, light still finds a way in.
When we share our stories — unfiltered, unedited, and unashamed — we don’t just heal ourselves. We give others permission to heal too.
So if you’re standing in your own “empty trailer” moment, wondering what comes next, take heart. This is not the end of your story — it’s the beginning of your freedom.