Amber stipp

My name is Amber Stipp, and I am a survivor of domestic violence and addiction. For many years, I struggled with low self-worth and a lack of self-love, empathy without self love can be so toxic and dangerous my desire to help people without having self love and boundaries led me into a dangerous situation, trying to help someone who ultimately turned against me. My 12-year-old daughter saved my life that day, and her courage was the wake-up call I needed to seek help and find a deeper sense of purpose After living clean and sober for 5 years, my life was shattered when my doors were kicked in and I was attacked. The trauma triggered me to have anxiety and panic attacks, my daughter’s suffered from severe separation anxiety. Making it impossible to work and provide for my children as I once had. My 5 year old son suffered ptsd and would have night terrors waking up thinking my attacker was back in the home. He had anger outbursts that led to him trying to reenact strangling me like my attaker did. I sought help through therapy and medication, but it led me back into addiction. During this vulnerable time, my landlord tried to exploit me and after i turned him down he did everything he could to try to take advantage of and make my life difficult When I refused his advances and control he evicted me and my children, leaving us homeless. I was on housing at the time but every landlord i called didnt want to take the chance of renting to me because of my recent domestic violence situation i even had one of the landlord’s on the housing list say to me, " well what makes you think if you move into one of my rentals that man's not going to be able to find you, and then whos going to pay for the damages"? I couldn't believe what i was hearing i was being discriminated against. I immediately called my housing case worker at the knox county housing authorities and told her my concerns that i was facing discrimination and i broke down begging her to help me get into a new place and she said she would but she didn't follow through. I reached out to a domestic violence support group, but they couldn’t offer the help I desperately needed. It was one of the darkest times of my life, and I felt like I had hit rock bottom. Even when organizations like Hope’s Voice, and the knox county housing authority which were supposed to help, turned me away, I refused to give up. I kept fighting, even when I had no choice but to stay with another emotionally and physically abusive ex or sleep in my car with my daughters. Through it all, I tried to hold onto hope, even when surrounded by complete darkness At my lowest point, I felt utterly alone—my only support was God, and my only hope was in love and truth. I reached out to domestic violence support groups but was denied real help. I even considered self-sacrifice, thinking that if I wasn’t here, my children could receive social security, and perhaps the system would finally see how crucial real support is for families like mine. I told God, “If you want me here, you have to show me because I can’t be the reason my kids suffer so much trauma.” Within two weeks of being evicted and denied help, God began to reveal to me—often in heartbreaking ways—just how rare compassion and real love are in this world. I realized my children needed my love and strength more than anything. No matter how much I had messed up, I couldn’t leave them alone in such a cold world. After 6 months of fighting through this hell that I had initiated for myself, I was relieved to get a apartment. Getting my own apartment was a turning point. Having a safe place allowed me to get clean and start fresh. Through this journey, I learned that God is love and truth. Self-love and authenticity were the divine keys that set me free. My faith and honesty with myself became my foundation. I now know that even when the world offers little support, God’s love and the truth within can guide us through the darkest times. I hope my story inspires others to keep fighting, to seek love and truth, and to never lose hope—even when it feels like you’re alone. Healing is possible, and your strength and compassion matter more than you know.Through the darkest moments of my journey—when I felt abandoned, manipulated, and utterly alone—God’s love became my only source of hope and support. When I was evicted for refusing my landlord’s control and even the support groups I turned to failed me, I reached a point where I questioned my worth and purpose. I even considered self-sacrifice, believing it was the most selfless choice for my children because I felt unable to provide for them. In that moment, I cried out to God, asking for a sign that my life still mattered. It was in these moments of complete vulnerability that God began to reveal the true meaning of love and truth to me. I realized that even when the world turned its back, God’s love remained constant. This divine love showed me that my compassion, my ability to love deeply, and my authenticity were rare and precious gifts. God’s presence reminded me that I didn’t need to sacrifice myself to prove my love for my children—they needed me, just as I am, flaws and all. God’s love taught me that authenticity—being honest with myself and embracing who I truly am—was the key to my freedom. Self-love was not selfish, but a divine necessity. By loving myself as God loves me, I found the strength to keep going, to create a safe and loving home for my children, and to break free from the cycles of abuse and addiction. In the end, God’s love and truth became my foundation. Authenticity and self-love were the divine keys that set me free, allowing me to heal and to be the mother my children needed. My story is a testament that, even when all else fails, God’s love can guide us to embrace our true selves and discover the strength we never knew we had.By rejecting my landlord’s manipulation, I reclaimed my power and took a stand for myself and my children. It was an act of self-love and authenticity—values I learned through God’s guidance. Even when it cost us our home, I knew that staying true to myself was the only way forward. That decision became a turning point, reminding me that no matter how desperate things became, I would not let anyone take away my dignity or control my life. I deserved to feel safe and respected, no matter what. Accepting anything less would have been a betrayal of myself and my children.