How to Recognize Abusive Relationships
Abusive relationships can be very destructive. Unfortunately many people unwittingly find themselves in a situation that is unhealthy simply because they don't really understand what qualifies as abuse. Women in particular tend to stay with abusive partners for years, for fear of retaliation from their partners or due to economic concerns. Even teens may find themselves in a destructive relationship and be too scared to ask for help.
But what are the warning signs of abusive relationships? How do you know if you or a family member/friend is in danger of being harmed by his or her partner? Relationships violence is not only physical in nature. Abuse can also be verbal. But there are even more complex signs of abuse. Learning to spot them can provide you with the best defense against an abusive partner and help you to protect yourself.
The signs of abusive relationships include:
Feeling like you can't be honest about your feelings and can't talk openly about them to your partner. People in abusive relationships may feel like they can solve their partners problems given enough time and hard work. They may feel afraid of their partner's temper. For this reason they try to maintain the "peace" at all times, even if it means they are unhappy or silenced. People who are being abused feel unhappy in their relationships and with their partner.
But what about your abusive partner? People in abusive relationships may notice certain behavior patterns in their partners. Your partner may be very suspicious of you and your whereabouts, he or she may want to know where you were and who you are with at all times. Abusive partners may not allow you to talk to or socialize with your friends and are usually very jealous.
Abusive partners may criticize your friends and family and tell you to stop making arrangements to see them. He or she often controls where and how you spend your recreation time. People in abusive relationships know that their partners know how to hurt them and do so purposefully.
People in abusive relationships might even notice that their partners do hurtful or harmful things to scare them such as driving too fast and drinking too much. They may even have hurt you physically or used the threat of violence to control you. They may even threaten those you love or tell you that they will kill themselves if you don't do as they say.
Many people end up in abusive relationships due to a lack of self esteem. Men or women who abuse others think that they can get what they want by controlling people. They believe that jealousy and control are signs of love. If you recognize any of the abovementioned behavior get help now. Remember you are not to blame for anybody else's behavior but you can control your own.
