Signs of an abusive relationship

There are many signs of an abusive relationship. The most significant is fear of your partner. Other signs include a partner who belittles and tries to control you. You may experience feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation. Below is a list of indicators of an abusive relationship. If you answer YES to most questions the more likely that your are at risk of being in a violent relationship.

DOES YOUR PARTNER:

• Humiliate, criticize, or verbally abuse you?
• Treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
• Ignore or put down your opinions or achievements?
• Blame you for his own abusive behaviour?
• See you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
• Has your partner put you down or questioned your behaviour when you act independently?

DOES YOUR PARTNER:

• Have a bad and unpredictable temper?
• Hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
• Threaten to take your children away or harm them?
• Threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
• Force you to have sex?
• Destroy your belongings?
• See themselves as more important than you and always right?

DOES YOUR PARTNER:

• Act excessively jealous and possessive?
• Control where you go or what you do?
• Limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
• Constantly check up on you?
• Try to control your contact with family and friends?
• Use force, threats or coercion to make you do things against your will?

DO YOU:

• Feel afraid of your partner?
• Avoid certain topics out of fear of angering your partner?
• Feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
• Believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
• Wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
• Feel helpless?
• Do you like yourself less than usual when you have been with your partner?
• Are there qualities about yourself that you like you’re your partner disapproves of or ridicules?
• Do you feel that if you just try harder and love your partner enough that everything will be just fine?
• Do you think the physical and emotional abuse is getting worse over time?

ARE YOU:

• Afraid to break up with them?
• Tied down, feel like you have to check in?
• Feeling depressed, unhappy and crying a lot about the relationship?