Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of age, race, gender, faith, sexual orientation or socioeconomic background. Leaving any relationship is hard, and it can feel impossible in an abusive situation.
As advocates against family and domestic violence, this is your platform to get access to information and a network of trusted professionals that can help you.
Signs of an abusive relationship
Domestic violence – also called domestic abuse or intimate partner violence – is defined as a pattern of behaviour in a relationship that is used to create an imbalance of power. These include behaviours that threaten, intimidate, humiliate, manipulate, frighten or injure someone.
Often escalating from verbal abuse to physical abuse, domestic violence can also have severe mental health consequences.
Types of violence and abuse are:
- Coercive control
- Financial abuse
- Physical violence
- Sexual assault
- Emotional abuse
- Verbal abuse
- Technology facilitated abuse
Individuals in abusive relationships are often afraid of their partner and experience low self-worth, depression and feelings of helplessness. Victims also describe life as “walking on eggshells.”
Your first step to breaking free is recognizing that your relationship is abusive. You may be inclined to believe that you are also to blame for the abuse. It is never your fault.
From understanding what is normal to safety planning, to getting in touch with a lawyer that can assist you with legal aid, and counsellors and psychologists that can help you heal from trauma, we can help you get through this.
Always remember, you are not alone.
