Are you in a relationship that constantly makes you feel dejected? If your partner is someone who makes you feel unhappy through their words, implications and actions that make you feel like you are good for nothing, then you are probably being abused emotionally. They insult you, make fun of you, intimidate you, and even threaten you; breaking you from the inside. Emotional abuse can also come hand in hand with physical or sexual abuse, and could be very difficult to deal with. Take a look at this 7-step plan to deal with emotional abuse.
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1. Understand What Emotional Abuse Is
Many a time, those who are going through emotional abuse are unaware of the same. Most of them fail to realize they are being mentally tortured due to the absence of the violence factor. Here are some behavioral patterns of your partner that will help you understand if you are in a toxic relationship:
-He/she keeps threatening to leave you and points out you will be nothing without them.
-They limit your freedom and manipulate you into staying away from your family and friends. They could even be monitoring your finances.
-They have no respect for personal space; they keep checking your texts and mails to make sure nothing fishy is going on.
-They call you names, belittle you in many ways, and keep breaking your self-confidence.
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2. Be Aware Of Your Rights
When you are in a relationship, both partners require to be treated equally. Which means you deserve every bit of the love and respect you give your partner. You have the right to be treated with dignity and compassion, and if that is not happening, it’s time to reconsider your options. You also have the right to receive honest and transparent answers from your partner.
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3. Realize That Your Partner Won’t Change
You might think that your partner is going through a phase which is triggering this abusive behavior. Though this could be true in very rare cases, most partners who treat their spouses badly are not bound to change. Don’t keep forgiving your partner, waiting for him/ her to change one fine day. You might feel nobody can understand them like you do, forcing yourself to stay for their good. But it wouldn’t do any good to either of you in the long run
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4. Do Not Retaliate
Losing your cool when your partner is provoking you is not a great move. It is best to keep calm, count till 10 in your head, and walk away. You might find it hard to ignore all the insults and insensitive comments, but the best reaction is to walk away. Retaliating will only give them the upper hand and could even lead to violent reactions.
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5. Think About All The Risks Involved In An Abusive Relationship, Especially In The Long Term
It is important that you think about all the risks that are involved when you are trapped in a toxic relationship. The risks include a sabotaged career, alienation from friends and family, traumatization of kids (if you have any), drug abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and many other unexpected health disorders. In our opinion, no relationship is worth so much trouble.
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6. Get Help
Once you have realized that your relationship is not worth risking your future and so many other things dear to you, the next step is to reach out for support. Talk to a friend or family member who can help you get out of the cage. You could even come up with codes and signals that would notify them when and how you need help without alarming your partner.
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7. Leaving
The final step is to escape as soon as possible so that you can move on with your life once again. Mind you, it is not going to be easy to free yourself, especially if it threatens your safety. Here are a few things to keep in mind before planning your exit:
-Decide on when you will leave (the sooner the better). You might feel like there is never a right time. But you will figure it out eventually.
-Keep a spare phone with a number unknown to your partner on you all the time.
-Do keep your safety in mind.
-Call and friend, relative, or a hotline and reach a safe location.
-Block your partner’s number and cut off all contacts. Make sure you don’t use your old number anymore.
-Take good care of yourself. It is important that you learn to love and pamper yourself once again.
-If recovery seems difficult, do not hesitate to get professional help.
