Mental Health

Warning Signs of Abusive Relationships, Beware!

22 August 2024 4 minutes reading time

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An abusive relationship is a term to describe a relationship in which one party attempts to control or dominate the other through negative behavior. This relationship is typically characterized by acts of violence, whether physical, verbal, or sexual. What are the signs of an abusive relationship that you should be cautious of? Explore more information below. 

 

What Is an Abusive Relationship?

 

Abusive relationships are marked by one party’s use of violence to dominate or control the other. Abusive relationships can generally happen in work environments, friendships, or romantic relationships. If this occurs between married partners, an abusive relationship can develop into domestic violence.

 

Signs of Abusive Relationships

 

People who engage in abusive behavior (abusers) are typically manipulative, causing their victims to remain unaware that they are in a toxic relationship. Therefore, to increase awareness, it is important to identify the signs of abusive relationships. More details are as follows.

 

1. Being Restricted to Communicate with Others

 

The first sign of an abusive relationship is being restricted from freely communicating with others. Abusers often monitor and control the victim’s actions, including their interactions or relationships with other people through various means, such as regularly checking their phones or monitoring all of their activities on social media.

 

2. Being Isolated From Social Environment

 

Abusers seek complete control over their victims. Therefore, they often attempt to distance the victim from close relationships, including friends or even family. This can involve prohibiting the victim from meeting others or even spreading lies and slander to isolate them from their social circle. 

 

3. Feeling Coerced

 

If someone often feels coerced into doing things they do not want to do, it can indicate that they are in an abusive relationship. The forms of coercion can vary from dictating clothing choices to demanding constant companionship. In abusive romantic relationships, abusers may even force their partners to engage in sexual intercourse. 

 

4. Frequently Experiencing Emotional or Physical Abuse

 

Emotional abuse is a sign of an abusive relationship that tends to be difficult to recognize. This is because the victims do not realize they are experiencing emotional abuse. The following are several forms of emotional abuse:

 

  • Overly criticizing the victim or implying their incompetence.

  • Disregarding the victim’s needs, desires, and feelings.

  • Frequently humiliating the victim in public or private.

  • Assigning negative labels to the victim, such as “stupid”.

  • Doing silent treatment.

  • Threatening to harm the victim or even themselves if the victim does not comply with their demands.

 

Other than emotional abuse, physical abuse, which involves kicking or hitting, also indicates an abusive relationship that one should be aware of. Physical abuse or violence can be concrete proof of an abusive and toxic relationship. 

 

5. Becoming Financially Powerless

 

In some abusive relationships within marriages, abusers may also make their partners financially powerless. This might involve coercing their partner to quit their job or restricting access to their personal bank accounts. The objective is to make the victim more dependent on the abusers and prevent them from leaving the toxic relationship. 

 

Impacts of an Abusive Relationship and How to Deal with It

 

An abusive relationship is an unhealthy or toxic relationship that should be promptly ended. If it continues, it can have serious negative effects on the victim’s physical and mental health. Some impacts of abusive relationships are:

 

 

In addition to its impact on the victim, abusive relationships within marriage can affect the physical and mental well-being of the children. Children who witness such violence may feel unsafe, fearful, angry, anxious, and excessively worried. These experiences have long-lasting effects on children into their adulthood. 

 

Therefore, if any indications of abusive relationships are visible, do not hesitate to tell or confide in the closest companions. Being in a healthy relationship without coercion or pressure is everyone’s right. Everyone deserves to feel secure and safe in their relationships. 

 

If the situation is possible, try to communicate and let the abusers know that their actions are unacceptable. If the abusers show difficulty in changing their behavior, it is advisable to seek further solutions. 

 

Seeking counseling with a professional, such as a Psychiatrist from Siloam Hospitals, can help someone overcome this particular issue. Our doctors are ready to provide the best advice to address or end toxic relationships. 


Subsequently, the Teleconsultation service from Siloam Hospitals allows one to have a consultation and receive advice from the doctor virtually. Conveniently, this service is accessible through features available on our MySiloam app.

 

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