Even just by walking 5 minutes down the street, you can pass hundreds of people, all strangers, all unknown, all with their own lives. You have no idea of any of their stories or what's going on in their lives.

During my abusive relationship, when no one knew, I was desperate for help. I remember sitting on the bus, on the metro, in the street, in a shop, at the market and catching eye contact with complete strangers and trying to tell them with my eyes what was going on. I begged out for help. I remember my then-boyfriend being abusive towards me in public for everyone to see and desperately looking round for someone, anyone to help me or at least just acknowledge it, just give me a knowing look, just anything.

I remember seeing other girls and wandering if they were going through the same thing or even if they would just understand what I was going through. I felt like I couldn't be the only one who was going though this and I know now that if I ever saw another girl in the same position as I was in, I would try my absolute best to help them. I will never forget that I built up so much courage to ask for help and I was ignored and left, which ultimately made me feel trapped and give up hope of ever being saved and helped. I stopped fighting, I gave in and surrendered myself to the abuse. Without hope, what do you have to fight for?

It taught me that you never know what someone's going through. I'm the first person to put on a smile and be so bubbly, people tell me all the time that I'm so happy, chirpy and positive and they had no idea what was behind that because during most of those times I was physically hiding bruises and my emotional pain and heartbreak and no one ever knew or even suspected. Therefore surely other people must be in the same position, I can't be the only person in the world to ever be in that position? Everyone has their own struggles in their life, no matter how big they are. Everyone has felt pain, everyone has felt heartbreak, loss, betrayal, anger, disbelief. Be aware of this. Be kind to people. Don't act as if you're the only person who has ever felt these feelings, remember there are millions of people who are feeling the exact same, you could even pass them in the street! Always be kind.