A mum-of-five was told she 'would be dead in six months' by a doctor following years of abuse.
Christina Black, 62, said her family doctor had turned to her and asked if they could say something and then dropped the bombshell which floored her.
She told the ECHO it had been a moment she will never forget and a moment that helped bring perspective.
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She said: "When you are living in an abusive relationship you are living on your wits, you don't have the perspective to see how that one more punch or push into the radiator or door could be your last.
"The doctor told me that I had been on their 'at risk' list and assumed I would be dead within six months."
Christina, who was born in Bootle and lived in Tranmere, Birkenhead, has detailed her story in a new book, Life at the End of the Tunnel in the hope it brings comfort to those who may find themselves in similar situations as she did.
The child of an affair, Christina was rejected at birth by her parents and handed over to her adoptive family who she says was motivated not by charity, but the government handouts given to those willing to take in unwanted children.
By the age of ten, Christina, who has waived her right to anonymity that is given to all victims of sexual abuse, had already endured more cruelty than most people suffer in a lifetime.
She said: "I was never told 'I love you', which later in life made it hard for me to even tell my own children I loved them."
After escaping the physical and mental abuse of her adoptive family she was coerced into a marriage with her adoptive sister's alcoholic neighbour who would beat her nightly and when he wasn't drunk would rape her.
What followed was a number of abusive relationships that spanned decades with only the love for her children keeping her going.
She said: "A few years back one of my children told me about the fear they had when they went to school every morning, not knowing if I was going to be alive when they got home.
"I just sat in the car with her and held her hand and told her how sorry I was - obviously she knew I did not need to apologise, but it was in that moment I realised how much you are living day-to-day in those kinds of relationships.
"You have no time to think, no time to think about what your children are thinking, you are too consumed with wondering what will set them off that day, how your words will be twisted against you."
Christina said after being worn down she finally walked away from her third abusive relationship and managed to escape.
She said: "I just knew I deserved better and I was quite happy being by myself."
Despite not looking for love and content to be on her own, Christina is now in a happy relationship with Wayne Godwin, 61.
She said: "Because of the abuse, at first I kept questioning myself, 'is this too good to be true?', 'why does this person even like me?'.
"But it has just been like a fairytale. And there are those people out there."
Christina wrote her book after people who had spoken with her about their own stories of abuse had said she had helped them.
She said: "It was very hard writing it all down because it was like grieving again and many feelings come right back up to the surface.
"But it is something I have wanted to do for a long time and everyone has been so kind about the book and the reviews have been wonderful, I am just so grateful to everyone.
"And if my story helps just one person, then I will be happy."
Life at the End of the Tunnel by Christina Black is published By Clink Street RRP £9.99 is available to buy online from retailers including Amazon.co.uk and can be ordered from all good bookstores.
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