Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you feel nervous around them?
- Are you scared of disagreeing with them?
- Do they criticize, or humiliate you in front of other people?
- Are they always checking up on you or questioning what you do without them and who you spend your time with?
- Do they repeatedly and wrongly accuse you of seeing or flirting with other people?
- Do they tell you that if you changed they wouldn’t abuse you?
- Does their jealousy stop you from seeing friends and family?
- Do they make you feel like you are inadequate and stupid?
- Have they ever scared you with violence or threatening behaviour?
- Do you often do things to constantly please them instead of yourself?
- Do you feel that with them, nothing you ever do is good enough?
- Do they make excuses for engaging in abusive behaviours?
If you answered YES to any of these questions:
- You are in an abusive relationship.
- Remember that feeling scared, humiliated, pressured or controlled is not the way you should feel in a relationship. You should feel loved, respected, and free to be yourself. Your feelings and safety are important.
- People who are abusive will often make you feel like you are to blame for their behaviour. You might feel pressured to change in order to please your abuser, but you should not feel the need to be anyone but yourself in the bounds of a healthy relationship.
- If you are in an abusive relationship it is likely to get worse over time. But you can’t make your partner change their behaviour. They are the one who has to change their attitude and accept responsibility for abusing you, and not make excuses for their behaviour.
IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT IF YOU ARE BEING ABUSED.
YOU DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.
If you are in need of any assistance, please contact
any one of the community phone numbers or e-mail addresses on this website.
If it is an emergency, call 911.