A relationship is a beautiful thing to be in but it can become abusive when your partner hurts you or exploits you. Abusive relationships can happen to anyone, both young and old, male or female, or even people with different sexuality. It is not peculiar to a group of people only. It is easy to ignore the signs of an abusive relationship especially when you are so in love with the person and your mind tells you the person can do no wrong. Abuse in a relationship does not have to be only physical, it could also come emotional, sexual, and financial.
How do you know you are in an abusive relationship and what do you do when you find yourself in one? Here are some key signs to watch out to know if you are in an abusive relationship;
Physical Violence:
Hitting, punching, slapping, strangling, and also using any type of weapon to inflict pain. Destroying things that belong to you.
Forcing Sexual Acts:
Use of force to engage in sexual acts you are not comfortable with. Persuading you to do things sexually that you do not want to do.
Controlling And Demanding:
Forcing you to work or not to work, taking and budgeting the amount of money you have to spend, determining when you can go out and who you should go out with, telling what you should wear and how you should behave, etc.
Blames And Denial:
Trying to blame you for the abuse or argument. Denying the abuse and trying to play the abuse down. Telling you it’s normal to be abused and you are not the first to experience it.
Verbal Abuse:
Shouting at you, mocks you, threatens to kill you or kill themselves, destructively criticising you and trying to put you down in front of people
Isolation:
Trying to keep you away from your friends and family. Follows you around and tries to harass you. Disconnecting your phone or computer and disrupting your means of communication. It is not your fault that you have found yourself in such a situation and you should not blame yourself for the person’s action.
Here are a Few Steps You Could Take If You Find Yourself In An Abusive Relationship;
Talk To A Trusted Person:
Coming out to talk about being in an abusive relationship is not easy but it is a good thing to do. Talk to someone you trust and you are comfortable with about what is happening to you.
Get Help:
You could report the situation to the police if your partner is physically abusing you. You could also get help from organizations that are in charge of an abusive relationship.
Walk Out Of The Relationship:
It’s okay to move on from the relationship if you feel you are being abused. End the relationship and try to find peace again.
If you know someone in an abusive relationship, listen to them and try not to blame them for the abuse, support them in any way you can, and give them time to get over the relationship or to make their decision. You could also help them report the abuse to the right authorities or get the contact info of organizations that could help them.
