If you are in an isolated area in a foreign country, unable to speak the language, and your abuser has taken away your passport, car keys, and access to money, then you are in an extremely high-risk situation. This is not just domestic violence—this is coercive control and entrapment. It is a dangerous hostage-like scenario where they are deliberately stripping away your independence so that you cannot leave.
What Happens in This Situation?
This level of control is a tactic designed to:
✔ Break your will—by making you feel helpless and dependent.
✔ Trap you physically—by removing your ability to escape.
✔ Destroy your autonomy—so you believe you have no choice but to stay.
✔ Increase their power—so they can escalate abuse with no consequences.
The fact that they have strangled you on top of this means that they are willing to go to the edge of murder. You are in immediate danger, and escape is your priority.
What You Can Do to Get Out
Even in an isolated area, there are ways to get help, communicate, and escape. You may feel trapped, but you are not powerless.
1. Secretly Reach Out for Help
🔹 If you have a phone
- Emergency services: Find out the emergency number for the country you are in (e.g., 112 in Europe, 911 in the U.S.). Even if you don’t speak the language, just saying “Help. Domestic violence.” can alert them.
- Send a message to a trusted contact: Even if you don’t think they can help directly, they may be able to contact someone who can.
- Use code words: If you don’t feel safe writing “Help me,” send an unusual message like “I need the recipe for [fake dish]” to signal distress.
🔹 If you don’t have a phone
- Try to find a neighbor, shopkeeper, or stranger who might speak English or another language you know.
- Write a note: “Help. My partner is hurting me. Call the police.” Leave it somewhere someone will find it.
- Fake an emergency: If you can get out even briefly (e.g., pretending to take out the trash or walk a pet), try to get help.
2. Regain Access to Your Money & Documents
🔹 Look for hidden or forgotten access
- If your bank allows online banking, try logging in from any device you can access.
- If you have an emergency credit card, memorize the number so you can use it online later.
- If your passport is hidden, try searching when they are asleep or out.
🔹 Ask for help from your home country’s embassy
- Embassies take these cases seriously. Many can help replace stolen passports, contact authorities, and assist in your escape.
- If you can get to an embassy, they cannot force you to leave with your abuser.
3. Plan Your Escape (Even If It Takes Time)
If immediate escape isn’t possible, start quietly preparing:
✔ Gather important items: Any ID, money, even small valuables you can sell.
✔ Pack small essentials: A bag you can grab quickly (medications, clothes, water, food).
✔ Look for local shelters: Many countries have safe houses for women in danger—they will help even if you are not a citizen.
✔ Wait for the right moment: If your abuser is careless, drunk, or distracted, use that opportunity to leave.
If Escape Is Not Possible Yet
If you cannot leave immediately, focus on survival and keeping yourself safe until you can.
🚩 Do not resist during violence—if they are strangling you, your goal is to stay alive until you can escape.
🚩 Pretend to comply—act as if you are cooperative to avoid further punishment.
🚩 Secretly document everything—if possible, keep a hidden journal or record injuries with timestamps.
Final Thoughts
Your situation is critical, but you are not alone. Many survivors have escaped even from extreme isolation. Your life matters, and there are people who will help.
🌍 Even if you don’t speak the language, someone in that country will help you.
📞 Even if you have no phone, there are other ways to communicate.
🚪 Even if you can’t leave today, you can plan for tomorrow.
You are stronger than they want you to believe. Stay focused on escape—it is possible. ❤️
