Two powerful hashtags have Twitter users telling their very real stories of domestic violence. #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft began circulating in response to the release of a violent video of NFL player Ray Rice assaulting his then-fianceé in an elevator [1], and the hashtags have encouraged honest answers to the often-asked question of why victims stay when they are in an abusive relationship. While some users, like DiGiorno Pizza [2], have made the mistake of misusing the hashtag, overall the personal accounts by survivors have opened up an important discussion about the many layers of domestic violence and the problems with victim-blaming, and this has raised awareness about an issue that many people are already all too familiar with. See what some had to say below, and check out Vice President Joe Biden's compelling thoughts on the matter [3].

#whyistayed [4] I thought he would kill me #whyileft [5] I saw his eyes the moment he decided to kill me and I wanted to die free

— lucida_console (@lucida_console) September 9, 2014 [6]

Because I didn't love myself to know to better. After all, he said no one would love me like he could. And I believed him. #WhyIStayed [7]

— Imani Wisdom (@Imani_Wisdom) September 9, 2014 [8]

#whyistayed [9] When I disclosed to someone I trusted that I thought the next time I might die they said 'you have made your bed now lie in it'

— Gemma Dunning (@gemmadunning) September 9, 2014 [10]

Because every time was the last time #WhyIStayed [11]

— Katie Yeager (@Katiebyeager) September 8, 2014 [12]

#whyIstayed [13] Because I wanted to be the one person who would never abandon him #whyIleft [14] Our baby daughter deserved better and so did I

— Shelley Shelton (@ShelShelton) September 9, 2014 [15]

#whyistayed [16] I thought I could change him #whyileft [17] he was the one changing me

— Taylor (@were__wolff) September 9, 2014 [18]

#WhyIStayed [19] pic.twitter.com/YdjiDd5eeN [20]

— maria lia calvo (@MariaLiaCalvo) September 8, 2014 [21]

#WhyIStayed [22] because both he and the world said that it wasn't REAL abuse if he wasn't leaving obvious, physical marks that people could see.

— Andrea Berthot (@AndreaBerthot) September 9, 2014 [23]

#WhyIStayed [24] I was scared of getting caught leaving bc I knew there would be violent fallout that would seriously endanger my safety.

— gurkeyrith (@keyrith_) September 9, 2014 [25]

"Why did I stay? The answer is easy. I didn't know he was abusing me." #WhyIStayed [26] http://t.co/bqzDQVoT7G [27]

— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) September 9, 2014 [28]