Struggling in an abusive relationship is never easy, especially when you have been with your partner for years or even decades before the abuse itself begins. Understanding how to spot signs of being abused and overcome it when in a relationship is essential to avoid potentially life-threatening situations or scenarios with your partner.
If you believe you are suffering from relationship abuse, seeking help and getting the support necessary to move on with your life is possible with both local and online resources, regardless of the severity of your case individually.
Table of Contents
Understanding Abuse
Abusing another person is not just limited to physical abuse. Abuse is also considered sexual as well as mental and emotional. Abusing an individual does not require physical violence to have a long-term impact on the person’s life, regardless of the type of abuse occurring. Whenever you have been assaulted, violated, and even harassed verbally, it is considered a form of abuse and should be dealt with accordingly.
When you are in a relationship with an abuser, recognizing these signs and ridding yourself of the situation may seem challenging or even nearly impossible, causing you to stay in an attempt to fix and repair any negative behavior your partner has been exhibiting.
Most Common Types of Abuse
Abusers are not limited to one form of abuse, even if they are mentally and emotionally abusing a person for any amount of time. The most common forms of abuse include verbal abuse, physical assaults, and sexual crimes. Abusers are not always abusive, especially at the beginning new relationships with partners.
Understanding some of the reasons why partner abuse is so dangerous and how to spot potential red flags is a way for you to avoid any potential situation that may ultimately become harmful or even life-threatening when you are in a new relationship.
Why Partner Abuse is Extremely Dangerous
Partner abuse is extremely dangerous because the abuse and violence itself involve two individuals who love and care for each other in most cases. When being abused by a partner, the victim often tries to reach out and attempt to change, fix, and help the abuser rather than leave and seek safety.
When in a relationship with an abuser who is also your partner, it can be a struggle to reach out and get the support you need when you genuinely want to love and care for the individual hurting you.
If an individual is struck on the street and robbed by a stranger, they are more likely to go after the criminal and pursue charges. However, when you have built a relationship with the abuser, it is difficult to accept the violence, aggression, or mental abuse you have been subjected to, especially if you are married or have been in a long-term relationship for years before the negative behavior occurred.
Relationship abuse often begins with minor verbal assaults or accusations. Signs also include irritability and jealousy, along with envy. Abusers are often not proud of their partners and find ways to demean them or make them feel less than they are, causing the abused to feel powerless and helpless.
When you are in a relationship with someone, and they begin to show signs of an abuser, it can be difficult to recognize them or admit them publicly or to those you know out of shame, guilt, and embarrassment.
Always be sure to take note of any signs and changes in behavior that is not usual of your spouse to stay aware of your situation and ensure you are always safe and protected at all times. A spouse or partner who is not an abuser will not cause physical or mental harm to their partner, and this is essential to understand before an abused victim is capable of moving on and forward with their life altogether,
Recognizing Your Situation
It is often difficult or nearly impossible for some individuals to recognize they are in a dangerous and unhealthy situation and the environment when they suffer from partner abuse. It is important always to remain self-aware of how others treat you, mentally and physically, whether they are a partner, friend, or family member.
Admitting you are in a potentially harmful situation is the first step to getting the help you need to move on with your life without any abusers who can harm you, both mentally and physically.
Before you can recognize your situation and the negative effects on you and your entire household, it is important to note any behavioral changes you have seen in your partner. Keeping track of outbursts, violence, and threats is a way for you to determine whether or not you are in an abusive relationship without allowing your emotions and feelings for your partner to interfere with your decision to get out.
Leaving an abusive relationship is never easy, especially when you genuinely love and care for your partner or spouse. However, the only way to truly regain control of your life and future is to take steps to move forward in an abusive situation.
Reach Out and Build a Support Group
Reaching out and building a support group is not always easy, and it is especially difficult if you are in a relationship with someone and have children with them. Building a support group is possible by talking openly and honestly with family, friends, and even a counselor or therapist who you feel comfortable with any time you have a session.
Having a support group that understands the type of suffering you are struggling with is a way to build strength, confidence, and the ability to move out and on with your life without risking it at the hands of an abuser.
When you have a support group of individuals who have also been in abusive relationships and have lived with abusers in the past, it is much easier to relate and cope with any issues you have faced in your childhood, past, or even in the current situation you have found yourself in.
Turning to those who you have in your support group is not only a way for you to get the relief necessary for you to move on with your life, but it is also a way for you to feel less alone when confronting and dealing with any form of abuse in your life with a partner, especially when dealing with a long-term relationship or even marriage.
Building a support group is not only limited to close friends and relatives you have in your life. It is also possible to build a support group to help you rid of an abuser from your life using both local and online resources, regardless of the type of situation you are in and struggling to get out of for your future.
Use Available Local Resources to Find Relief
Using local resources to find relief from an abusive relationship you may have found yourself in is also possible, depending on where you reside and your permanent location. Seeking out local support groups, counseling, therapy, and even centers for battered and abused women and men can help you gain the confidence necessary to escape any abuse you have been struggling to overcome within your relationship.
Visit local community centers, city hall buildings, and even local police departments to inquire about more information regarding the type of shelters and support you have available to use near you.
Reach Out for Help Online
Another method of getting relief and support from those who have been in similar situations is to do so by joining online communities and forums. Becoming a member of an online community is a way for you to share your own story of abuse and how it has affected you and impacted your life anonymously and without pressure.
When you are a part of an online community, it is also possible to build relationships and friendships with others to seek out the support you need whenever you are feeling down mentally and emotionally.
Joining online forums and communities is also a way for you to gain additional perspective on others’ situations and lives and how they went about making positive and healthy changes to move forward while escaping an abusive situation they were in.
Understanding why relationship abuse is extremely dangerous is a way for you to avoid potential situations which may cause danger or harm to yourself. Knowing the signs of an abuser is also a method of ridding any potential red flags when dating or getting to know someone for a potential relationship.
The more self-aware you become of your surroundings and who you date, the less likely you will suffer from partner abuse when you begin forming a serious relationship with another.
