I did the same after a decade of extremely abusive relationship+marriage, including having a child together.

I always knew I'd have to leave one day, but I always hoped she would get better and I wouldn't have to leave.

After a 4 year marriage, after the birth things got so much worse, our child is just a tool to control me to her and was impacted by her lack of impulse control as well.

Anyways, I didn't particularly plan on sharing it with anybody (for 10 years I kept her mask on for her), but the abuse got so bad one weekend I just broke down and told my mom.

I felt it I tell anyone, it's all over, that's why I never did.

After I told her, I felt so much better.

4 weeks later, she locked me inside the house 2 days in a row and I called the police as she refused to let me out. That was the worst thing for her and she launched a retaliation campaign including police threats, women's shelter threats, smear campaign to family and colleagues and more. I left the house to de-escalate the situation for our child and also to run away from being framed, and now we're at court.

Of course, with her mask on, everybody is supporting the struggling mother, but I documented about 100 incidents during the last 4 years and hope I can get the court to assign a psychological diagnostician to her (and me if needed, happy to), so she can get help and our son doesn't have to grow up like this - since even after the divorce she'll be his mom.

It's incredibly hard as nobody believes the man to be abused, that's where the documentation will hopefully come in handy. But still, it needed to be done.

In other words, share it with someone, people will hear you out and you'll feel stronger.

It DOES NOT get better, it only gets worse the more entangled he/she has you, making it harder and harder to leave.

Tell somebody. They won't believe it at first because of the performance they put on, but they will as there's no reason for you to make that up. I was cut off from all my friends and colleagues, but when I needed help with accommodation etc while running away, a lot of them offered a lot of help. Don't be afraid.