COVID-19 stay home orders can be boring or annoying for some, but if you are living in a domestic violence situation, “Stay the blazes home” is not a welcome request.

In fact, staying home can be downright dangerous when you share a home with an abusive partner. If this sounds like your situation, you are not alone.

CTV depicts a woman’s story who fled from her dangerous living situation amidst COVID-19 stay home orders here. And there are plenty more stories like hers happening now, told and untold.

How to get help NOW

Contact a shelter near you

Reach out to local resources in your area. You can find a list of shelters and help for communities all over Nova Scotia here.

Recently the government released funding for women’s shelters so that they have more capacity for those who need help during the COVID-19 crisis. This funding was put in place for people just like YOU who need a safe place to flee to at this time.

If you want to keep your web activity pertaining to getting help to a minimum, here is the number for the toll-free 24 hour help line for Transition House Nova Scotia: 1 855 225 0220.

Contact Bryony House through FB, email, text or phone

Click here for more information, and to contact them through a web form if you are in crisis.

Ask a safe friend for help

If you do not want the history of calling for help on your phone, call a safe friend and ask them to make a three way call on their end. This way, you can be connected to help without it showing in your call history.

You can also ask a friend over the phone to navigate the internet for you to get information.

If an emergency, call 911.

Please share this article mindfully

If you feel this article would be helpful for others, please be mindful before sharing an article directly with someone. Their abuser may be watching.

Instead, consider sharing it in a more general place like your Facebook profile and directing at-risk friends to the post through phone calls if it’s safe. Adjust the privacy settings on the post to exclude certain friends from viewing it if you feel necessary.