Have you ever questioned your sanity in your relationship? Does your partner often deny a conversation you KNOW the two of you have had or tells you he has, “No idea what you’re talking about” and that “You must be crazy”?
Denying your reality in this way, sometimes referred to as gas-lighting, can be a more subtle sign of what could be an abusive relationship. And it’s far more common than you think. In this video, I’m going to help you see the signs, symptoms and signals of what to look out for so you can avoid an abusive relationship. In my next video, I’ll share strategies on how you can safely exit an abusive relationship if you are already in one. Please know that you are not alone.
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There are many professionals who deal with abusive situations every day who will believe you and will understand how to help you change your situation.
In this video, you will learn:
- The Signs of an Abusive Relationship
- Different Types of Abusive Relationships (Verbal as well as Physical)
- How to Identify These Signs in Your Own Life
- Why Real Love and Abuse Cannot Exist Together
By identifying and understanding the signs of abuse right now, you can prevent yourself from ever being in an abusive relationship. If you see any of these early signs in your relationship now, you can get out before it escalates. One of the early indicators of potential abuse that I discuss in this video includes your partner always watching you. For example, keeping too close an eye on where you are at all times, or invading your privacy by going through your phone, email, mail, purse or pockets, etc. Another sign that you want to watch for is if you’re in a fight or you’re doing something they don’t like, they will threaten to harm themselves or kill themselves. This is a way that they can basically coerce you emotionally into submission. Be aware that that is an extremely manipulative thing to do. Abusive behavior tends to escalate, so another sign is them hurting you in ways that they pretend are playful, like pinching you, holding you too hard or leaving marks on your body that are easy to cover up. If you being in pain isn’t enough for them to stop, they might be an abusive partner.
I go through many more signs of abuse in this video, and I will do a follow-up to this about how to safely leave a controlling and/or abusive relationship.
Please download the full Cheat Sheet: 10 Signs of an Abusive Relationship now so you can be aware of these indicators. For more information about abusive relationships or to seek help now, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at http://www.thehotline.org/ and 1-800-799-7233.
Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist, transformation coach, and an expert at turning fear into freedom. Sign up for Terri’s weekly Newsletter, check out her blog and follow her on Twitter.
Image courtesy of missidog.
