Define a healthy relationship. Is it filled with trust, respect, honesty, communication? There must be a balance in the "power and control." A relationship takes two. It is a partnership. The responsibility, financial or otherwise, should never rest on the shoulders of one. It should be a shared responsibility. What happens when there is an imbalance in this power and control, when the one person who has accepted this responsibility abuses it? You find yourself in an unhealthy relationship where domestic violence could occur frequently and severely. The Plus Factor is an autobiographical account of my journey from tragedy to triumph. It is a survivor's story that describes in vivid detail what happens when love becomes violent. Domestic violence did not ruin my life: it gave me a second chance to live, all the while learning to love myself again in the process. If my story mirrors your life, know that there is help available for you.