Gloria, age 68, married Henry W, age 70, when she was 18. In the beginning of their marriage, the couple's social activities centered on parties and heavy drinking with friends. A successful salesman, Henry's work life involved long hours and frequent socializing with clients and potential customers. Over the years, Henry's bouts of drinking usually followed spells of violence at home. The targets of Henry's wrath ranged from dirty dishes to the family pet to Gloria. The day after an abusive session, Henry often vowed to change and showered Gloria with expensive gifts.

Despite the promises, however, the abuse continued. Over the years, Henry became extremely jealous of Gloria's friends. He found every excuse to criticize Gloria and her friends and threatened to "beat her up" if she weren't home with dinner on the table when he returned from work.

Gloria continued to work, but withdrew more and more from her own social life. Her self-esteem plummeted, and she became obsessed with keeping the house clean as a way to avoid abuse from Henry. Since retreating from her own social life, Gloria has started drinking by herself before Henry comes home.

Two weeks ago, Gloria's primary physician treated her for a broken arm. During the treatment, the doctor questioned her about the injury and felt uneasy about her answers. Eventually, Gloria admitted Henry caused the injury by shoving her against the wall after a bout of drinking. She said that although Henry had often been violent, this was the first time it had resulted in an injury. He promised to be better, Gloria said, but she was still afraid.