It's taken more than 20 years for Newcastle dad Craig Dunigan to take back control of his life.
The 46-year-old says he spent over two decades suffering domestic abuse at the hands of his wife.
From emotional abuse to physical assault, Craig said the suffering he endured left him a shadow of his former "confident and outgoing" self.
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But the stigma and lack of support for male domestic violence victims left the Heaton account manager feeling "trapped" in a cycle of abuse.
"It started off slowly and just got worse and worse," Craig said.
"I always thought it would get better tomorrow if I didn't do anything today.
"I always thought it was going to be the last time [the abuse happened].
"When you think back, it's crazy what you end up putting up with."
He continued: "I hid a lot and found excuses not to go places as I didn't want repercussions of what might happen.
"I became introverted. My self-esteem was at an all-time low.
"I was so anxious all of the time."
Craig said he spent years "living in fear" but the turning point came when he showed police recordings of a physical attack he was subjected to by his wife.
Debbie Louise Dunigan, 41, from Horsley Road, Newcastle was subsequently arrested and found guilty of assault by beating at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on November 29.
She received a community order and a 12-month restraining order against her victim.
Craig is now undergoing counselling as he takes steps to rebuild his life.
He hopes that sharing his story will help other men who are domestic abuse victims and encourage them to come forward.
"People don't talk about it, especially men," he said.
"I was at a workplace where it was really encouraged to do so and I still didn't.
"I think the thing that did it for me was that I found strength when my dad passed away.
"I just thought, 'if I don't do anything about it now I'm never going to.'
"I told a friend at work and they were quite supportive and said 'you need to do something.'
"They said, 'you need to learn to love yourself' and that struck a chord with me."
He continued: "I feel a lot stronger now.
"I would say to anyone in the same situation that it's never too late [to do something.]
"It is the best feeling to take back control of your life."
The NHS says that male domestic abuse victims can speak to a doctor or health visitor for support.
Men can call Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 (Monday and Wednesday, 9am to 8pm, and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm) for non-judgemental information and support
Men can also call ManKind on 0182 3334 244 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
