'My heart broke for her': Woman shares the anger and pain of witnessing the abuse of a friend

Please note that the following article contains descriptions of physical and emotional abuse and may be triggering to some readers.

With so much attention on victims of violence in intimate relationships, the friends of these victims, who sometimes witness the abuse, are overlooked.

They often find themselves in a difficult situation, from feeling helpless to not knowing how to approach the problem. Despite this, there are ways to help a friend who is being abused.