In a romantic relationship, everyone hopes to have a loving and happy relationship. But sometimes, some partners can be abusive towards their partners and cause relationship stress. This makes the relationship unhealthy if it continues, but unfortunately, not everyone can escape from abusive partners in relationships.

Signs that you're in an abusive relationship

Abusive relationships describe a relationship where one person exerts pressure, using power to control their partner negatively. The partner may experience violence, oppression, disrespect, or mistreatment. When you experience various forms of violence, such as physical, verbal, or emotional abuse, and it has happened several times, then your relationship is considered abusive.

Sometimes, not everybody realizes that they are in an abusive relationship. When you experience violence from your partner, and it happens more than once, it can also indicate that you are in an unhealthy relationship.

One of the most common aspects of abusive relationships is when the abuser insists that what they are doing to their partner is normal and harmless. It becomes difficult for the victimized partner to understand that their relationship is no longer healthy.

You may be in an abusive relationship if you have experienced the following:

• Your partner physically hurts you by punching, shoving, shaking, slapping, or kicking
• Your partner threatens to harm, hurt, or spread your secrets if you were to separate from the relationship
• Your partner forces or attempts to force you to do something you don't want to.
• Your partner tries to control how you dress and socialize.
• Your partner wants to know where you are and what you're up to
• Your partner often humiliates you or makes you feel worthless
• Your partner leaves mean comments about you on social media
  
  

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How to escape from an abusive partner

Those who are in abusive relationships naturally want to get away from their abusive partners. Unfortunately, it is not easy for someone to leave an abusive relationship. Many people can still love their partner despite being an abusive partner.

As reported by Psych Central, some people still love their partners even though they are often intimidating because of several factors, such as:

• Seeing the changes your partner makes gives you hope that the changes will be long-lasting
• Feeling that their partner still has good qualities beyond their attitude in the relationship
• The confusion due to the manipulation ploy by the partner
• Have been together for a long time
• Fear of being alone or fear of being separated
• Feeling dependent on the partner
• Being in denial about what is happening to you as a form of self-defense mechanism
• Stuck in a cycle of relationship violence
• Feeling that you can change your partner's nature with love
• Having children with a partner
  
  

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While it may not be easy, there are ways to escape an abusive partner, namely:

1. Recognize the Red Flags/Warning Signs

Once your partner has been abusive to you, this may indicate that he or she may repeat the act in the future. Also, remember that this violence can come in many forms, not only physical violence but also emotional violence. You need to be vigilant if your partner frequently hurts you and is violent in the relationship.

2. Plan Ahead

Before breaking away from your partner, especially if you are married, it is best to make careful plans about your future. This includes where you will live afterward, how you will support your children (if any) after separation, and how you will move away from or cut ties with your partner.

You may need to find a safe place to take refuge if you experience physical violence from your partner in the future and keep all the emergency contacts you may need in case things go wrong.

3. Remember why you're leaving

You may feel homesick for your partner after a long time together. When this feeling arises, it's a good idea to recall his violent actions that victimized you. That way, you will feel confident and better prepared to break away from your abusive partner.

Breaking away from an abusive partner requires a lot of thought and strategy, especially if you are married. If you need help, you can contact the authorities or institutions that can protect and provide security for you or use the consultation feature in the Ai Care application.

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