Domestic abuse is more common than you may think and its impact can be extremely negative. To make things worse, some women don’t even realize that they are being victimized because they just associate abuse with physical violence. Anyone around you could be suffering, your best friend, your sister, your boss or even you. The truth is that your partner may be doing it every day and you may just be overlooking it.
Maybe, you love them and don’t want to lose them or you are too embarrassed to discuss the concern with anyone. The long term impact, however, can be devastating. What really matters is to recognize the visible and subtle signs of abuse and take timely action before you end up losing your sanity and self-respect. Here are the warning signs of domestic abuse that you must be vigilant about.
Physical violence
The most obvious sign is physical violence, which is something you shouldn’t ignore or excuse at any cost. If being around your partner scares you because they hurt you physically, get help sooner rather than later. This is a criminal act that must be reported , whether it happens once or is repeated. It would be best to talk to someone or simply walk out before they cause bigger harm than bruises, scratches, sexual misconduct and other forms of physical injuries.
Emotional abuse
Apart from physical violence, you may be subjected to subtle damage in the form of emotional abuse. The worst thing about these actions is that women fail to notice them till they are seriously affected. Rather, the sooner you have your partner charged with domestic violence & assault, the lesser would be the emotional damage. Be watchful about actions like extreme criticism, moral policing, verbal threats, accusations of an affair and any other form of emotional pressure.
Controlling behavior
As a human being, every woman has a basic right to freedom and no one can force you to do anything you wouldn’t want to do. But if it seems that your freedom is being curbed, you are surely a victim of domestic abuse. You shouldn’t have to ask for permissions, whether it is about going out, talking to someone on the phone or spending your money. If your partner restricts your freedom or tries to control your life in any way, don’t take it frivolously because it can fast become a habit for them.
Isolation
Many abusers try to systematically isolate their victims from family and friends to exert gradual but complete control on their lives. The action is often subtle in the beginning but things can become serious down the line. This is something you shouldn’t ignore right from the start because you wouldn’t want to fall into the isolation trap, where there wouldn’t be anyone to help you in distress.
If domestic abuse is something you cannot resolve with open conversation with your partner, you shouldn’t wait to take legal recourse. See a lawyer immediately and explore your options before things take a turn for the worse.
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