Abusive Relationships

Maintaining a healthy relationship is vital for one’s life. However, finding a partner should be done with care as the partner would probably determine whether one’s relationship turns out to be a healthy or an abusive one. An abusive partner would not only make the relationship unhealthy, but in turn would cause serious physical and mental harm to the other partner involved.

The characteristics of an abusive partner can be clearly seen through the physical behavior. An abusive partner tends to display the following traits such as, an ill temper which causes them to lose his/her temper by relatively small day-to-day events and excessive jealousy towards the other partner. An abusive partner normally is possessive of the other and tries to control and separate the partner from any social interactions by prohibiting them the association of friends or relatives. Furthermore, he/she will normally exercise control over the total income and relationship decisions . In addition, extreme mood swings is also a common sign, where an abusive partner may act as a loving and caring person one minute, and suddenly turn into a brutal and repulsive person the next.

Although an abusive partner displays extreme violence, he/she will not claim responsibility for the aggression and may even blame the victim for triggering it, stating that the victim needs to change. Verbal abuse is also a typical feature of an abusive partner through which he/she will humiliate the victim frequently claiming that the victim is mediocre and incapable to perform without him/her. One of the most significant of the traits is when the abusive partner breaks or hits objects in an attempt to punish or intimidate the other partner into obedience. Generally, the destroyed objects would have a sentimental value for the victim and this act is carried out to give a message to the victim that the violence could intensify making the victim the next target.

If one finds oneself in an abusive relationship, it is imperative to act fast. As an abusive partner has the potential to hurt the other , one’s safety should be the primary concern. To leave safely, it is vital to plan before any action is taken. One should find support from whom one can rely on and receive help with the departure from the relationship. Counseling services are ideal for guidance and help in leaving the relationship. Even the local clergy or the physician would also provide the necessary advice.

One should always be aware of the status of one’s relationship. No relationship is worth the physical or mental abuse of the partners involved.