Handling An Abusive Spouse

Emotional abuse comes in many forms. Sometimes, it's years worth of a boyfriend or girlfriend, Husband or Wife wearing you down; sometimes, it's a romantic entanglement that takes a turn into this dangerous territory; it can even come in school under a dominating teacher; or at work under a bad boss. Whatever abuse you have suffered, you can begin to overcome the effects you've suffered today. For the purposes of keeping things clear in this article, we will alternate between genders in the steps. 1)Realize that you cannot change your partner, only your reaction to him or her* You can attempt to show your partner how damaging these behaviors are and how they are affecting you, and hope your partner will agree that you are being badly damaged. You can hope your partner will then make the decision to change. 2)Your energy is most effective when you change yourself* However, take care not to change yourself in order to primarily avoid conflict with your partner. Changing yourself is to be done with an objective mindset, not a defensive or offensive one. 3)Set boundaries* Abuse, in general, is an issue of disrespect that usually involves trespass upon individual's equality and freedom due to unclear or poorly-defined boundaries. If you are on the receiving end of abuse, it's up to you to set up clear, reasonable boundaries for an honorable relationship and to consistently stick to them. 4)Know when to say goodbye. Sometimes, relationships are just wrong and cannot be saved. For your sake, and for the sake of your mental health, try hard to recognize as early as possible whether or not this relationship is even worth working on. The reason we date before marriage is to discover whether or not we are compatible. We thwart that process when we refuse to see that being treated poorly by another adult is unacceptable. If you are unhappy in your relationship, and have been for longer than half the time you have been together, leave.