I've near enough strangled my current girlfriend to death.

My hands were around her throat for a split second and then I realised what was happening and let go.

As this programme points out, you try and make things better and you promise her the world.

But until you come on a course like this you will not change. It will keep on happening and happening and happening.

Each week it's made me think, 'I've done that.'

I would recommend this course to anyone who feels they have got a problem with abusing their partner. Because it is a problem, an illness and it needs sorting out before it goes too far.

I don't know how to put it into words but I'd say I get angrier than the majority of people and want to destroy stuff. I'd go in and cause another argument, just to get rid of that anger.

It could be because I saw my mum getting beaten up when I was younger. But this programme is taking the anger out of me.

I noticed after the first session that I was a dominator.

I go home with handouts. Each week we go through the things that a 'dominator' does and each week it's made me think, 'I've done that.'

My Mum was getting battered every single night...She never reported it

My girlfriend's still with me. She kicked me out of the house for a while for me to sort myself out.

I've stopped abusing her now. I've made her feel ugly, depressed and useless.

I'm 26 and I've gone through most of my adult life seeing this. My Mum was getting battered every single night.

My Mum never reported it. She was one of these women who kept quiet.

It was all the usual excuses - 'I fell over drunk', 'I walked into a door', 'The cupboard door swung open as I was walking past.'

Nothing can be done until the complaints come in - from a neighbour, a social worker or a police officer.

It shouldn't have to come from the person who's directly involved in domestic violence.

When I was a child I hated it and I don't know why I turned into my Dad as a I grew older.

It was a vicious circle and now it's been broken I'm keeping it broken.

The worst thing I have done to my wife is knocking two of her front teeth out.

At the time I didn't give it a thought. But now I feel really guilty about it.

I tend to behave differently now. Beforehand, I'd lash out verbally and sometimes physically. But being on this programme has taught me to think about what I do before I actually do it.

Before, when I got into rows with my wife, I'd slam doors, kick windows in, rip doors off their hinges and then regret it the following day. You don't think how you feel at the time - you just go ahead and do it.

Now I try to walk away from it.

My daughter asked, 'Daddy, why has the door been broken off again?'

My partner's on another Freedom programme, one which helps victims of domestic violence. We don't talk about what goes on within this building, but we do talk about how we can deal with things in a different way.

More courses like this should be made available across the country. I've had to wait a long time to get on this project. I was very apprehensive about joining it in the beginning but after a few sessions I'm finding it very helpful.

As every week passes I'm altering my behaviour drastically.

My wife could get very aggressive when she'd been drinking. And sometimes I reacted in the wrong way. At first, I didn't like the expression 'domestic violence', because I thought I was defending myself. But ultimately I caused more damage - to the house and also to her.

Personally I think there should be zero tolerance

It's had an effect on one of my daughters who has grown up seeing what was going on, asking questions like 'Daddy, why has the door been broken off again?'

I would use some excuse like 'I never put it back on properly last time' but she'd know what went on that night because she'd be listening at her bedroom door or sitting at the top of the stairs.

It's not fair on her.

The way domestic violence is interpreted in this country is that it's alright if people are doing it behind closed doors.

Personally I think there should be zero tolerance.

If the police are called to a domestic incident and someone is bleeding or bruised the police should prosecute that person.