LW1, not very bright to exclude crucial information: WHO is this abusive person???? How can LW1 leave out this information? Yes, it makes a difference. At beginning of letter they mention "family member or friend," but then go on to talk of only ONE person, then refuses to name the relationship. LW1 sounds like a real doormat. If the hurting person is a school friend, cousin or significant other, it's easy to drop them like a bomb and cut all ties. This would be the advice. LW1 fails to mention why she/he keeps seeing this person. Is it willful or do they keep seeing each other at family functions, invited there by a common person? Then it's harder to avoid that individual. If it's a parent, well, limit the visitations, but it's hard to 100 percent cut out a parent unless they are truly evil. If it's a sibling or sis/broth in-law, cut them out entirely save for those family functions, but limit contact there, too. If it's a parent in-law...get some steel in that spine.