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Do you change your behaviour because you are frightened of your partner’s reaction?
Is your partner jealous or possessive?
Do you feel like you’re walking on eggshells?
Do you feel controlled, or isolated?
![](https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/shutterstock_781096645-scaled.jpg)
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What is domestic abuse
Domestic abuse can take many forms. Learn to spot the signs.
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Your rights and options
Find out more about what support is available for you and your children.
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Supporting a survivor
If you’re worried about someone you care about, learn more about how you can support them.
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Ways of getting in touch
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What is it like to contact the Helpline?
We are a team of highly-trained, female advisers
We won’t judge you or tell you what to do; we are here to listen.
We will empower you
We will empower you to understand your options and support you to make any decisions about the future.
We can support you to increase your safety
We can help you find a refuge place, or other specialist services.
We can talk in confidence
We can talk in confidence, in many different languages, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, for as long as you need.
Please be aware this video contains audio.
Video title: Refuge’s 24-hour, Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline
Video duration: 1 minute 20 seconds
Description: Information video on what it is like to call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and who can call it.
Refuge’s 24-hour, Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline ‘Transcript’
[Background music plays]
Soft down beat music
[Animated sequence]
Animation in hand-drawn style showing a woman in a house standing behind a man on a sofa. The woman looks worried and the man appears angry, a speech bubble comes out of the man’s mouth.
[Text displays]
!*!!*!!
[Female voice over]
I was walking on eggshells around my partner didn’t know where to turn.
[Animated sequence]
The door in the background slams shut. We zoom in on it and it turns into a smart mobile phone in the women’s hand. The phone displays the details of the National Domestic Abuse Helpline Number and a green phone icon. Her finger hovers over the phone icon.
[Text displays]
Refuge National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247
[Female voice over]
I’d read about refuges National Domestic Abuse Helpline, but I was hesitant to call.
[Animated sequence]
The scene transitions to the woman sitting on a couch to the left of the screen, and another woman, the Helpline adviser, sitting on the right on a computer. They are facing each other. The screen is split into two different backgrounds with a window in the background that crosses over both.
[Female voice over]
The woman I spoke to really understood my situation though, it was such a relief just to talk.
[Animated sequence]
The woman begins to smile. The blinds in the window open up to show a sun and both rooms become brighter.
[Animated sequence]
Scene transitions to a top down view of the Helpline worker writing on lined paper.
[Female voice over]
I was reassured that it was a confidential and non-judgmental service run by a charity.
[Text displays]
Confidential
Non-judgemental
[Female voice over]
She said I could ring at any time, even if I just wanted to talk about what I was going through
[Text displays]
Any time
Just talk
[Female voice over]
It’s free and open 24 hours a day.
[Text displays]
Free
24 hours
[Animated sequence]
Scene zooms out to show a group of five women of mixed races and ages including the Helpline adviser from the earlier scene.
[Female voice over]
It was comforting to know that the helpline is staffed by an all female team of experts,
[Animated sequence]
Scene zooms out to show smart mobile phone showing an animation of the live chat page on nationaldahelpline.org.uk. The women’s finger begins to type.
[Female voice over]
and that I can also contact them using live chat.
[Sound effect]
Keys tapping
[Animated sequence]
The phone fades away and four framed picture swing into view. They show four women of various ages and races, one of who is pictured with a child, including the women from the first scene.
[Female voice over]
I was told that the helpline is open to any woman who is afraid of her partner,
[Sound effect]
Glass cracking
[Animated sequence]
The glass in one of the picture frames cracks
[Text displays]
[Female voice over]
whether you’re being physically abused or not
[Animated sequence]
The picture of the woman from the first scene is zoomed in on. She picks up her mobile phone as the frame turns into a circle. Another circular frame, showing the Helpline adviser, comes into view and begins to merge with the woman’s frame. The woman and the Helpline worker turn to face each other and hold hands.
[Female voice over]
The Helpline advisor helped me realise I’m not alone and reassured me it wasn’t my fault.
[Text displays]
I’m not alone
[Animated sequence]
Scene scrolls across to show the woman looking in a mirror and hugging herself. She begins to smile.
[Female voice over]
That was really empowering and I began to believe in myself again.
She made me feel like I had choices.
[Background music plays]
Music becomes more upbeat
[Animated sequence]
Scene zooms in on mirror until the frame is not visible. The background transitions to show a countryside scene with rolling hills, trees and butterflies. The woman lifts a hot drink to take a sip and closes her eyes.
[Female voice over]
From that moment on, I could see a life free from violence and fear.
That phone call was the beginning of the rest of my life.
[Animated sequence]
The woman opens her eyes and looks up.
[Animated sequence]
Scene fades to show black text on a white background below the Refuge pink and black logo.
[Text displays]
Refuge’s Freephone, 24 hour, National Domestic Abuse Helpline.
Call us on 0808 2000 247
Or visit wwww.nationaldahelpline.org.uk for information and support, including our live chat and secure online contact form.
We know our lines are often busy but we really want to hear from you.
![](https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/REFUGE2023_IR_FULL-110.jpg)
Aisha’s story
“When I spoke to friends, they didn’t really understand what I was trying to say. But the moment I spoke to the Helpline, they understood what I was talking about. They helped me realise this was a thing that happens to people. It made me feel sane. The Helpline adviser made me believe it is possible to change things.”
![](https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/REFUGE2023_IR-21.jpg)
Zara’s story
The Helpline turned things around for me and my children. Before I called, I just felt like my whole world was crumbling down. I could not keep living in that situation and had come to the point where I needed to choose between life and death. Just hearing someone pick up the phone reassured me. It gave me the hope I urgently needed.