How can you tell if I'm in an abusive relationship?

Answer 1

Early Warning Signs

• If your lover is resenting, belittling or blaming others
• Victim identity

1. Example: "You're so smart and caring, not like the b*tch I used to date."

• Another warning sign of verbal abuse is a sense of superiority
• Abusers have "hierarchical self-esteem"
• Sarcasm
• Deceit
• Lack of respect of personal boundaries

Later Warning Signs

• If your partner physically hurts you or your property on purpose
• Verbal abuse can be harder to detect

1. Verbal abuse is a lie told to you or about you
2. Belittling, blaming, interrogating, ignoring, hurtful joking, lying, threatening, name-calling, yelling and raging are examples of verbally abusive behavior
3. While everyone can make a mistake, repeated occurrences of this kind of behavior are a clear sign that you are in a verbally abusive relationship

Psychological Symptoms

• Fear of your partner and a lack of a sense of self
• If you avoid certain topics out of fear of making your partner angry, this is a red flag
• A feeling that you can't do anything right, beliefs that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated and difficulties figuring out which one of you is causing trouble are other signs

1. The psychological signs of abuse can be even more subtle
2. Emotionally numbness and helplessness, emotional pain, anxiety, depression and avoidance of social interaction accompanied by a feeling of discomfort in the presence of the partner can be a symptom of verbal or emotional abuse