| Emotional abuse can be insidious and more difficult to | | | | out of his or her control and gives you more |
| identify than physical abuse, which can leave obvious | | | | independence. |
| marks. Often, the victim is unaware that it is | | | | 3. You find yourself increasingly isolated from friends |
| occurring, and finds him or herself believing the he or | | | | and family members. Your partner might put pressure |
| she is inferior, worthless, incapable, and even crazy, | | | | on you, or outright prohibit you from seeing certain |
| and that the partner could be right and reasonable to | | | | people. |
| criticize and control the victim's behavior. Over time | | | | 4. When you are intimate with your partner, it seems |
| the victim may feel as if he or she does not have | | | | less a mutual expression of love and care than an |
| the strength or resources to leave the emotional | | | | issue of control. He or she might demand you meet |
| abuser, and is unable to break away. Here are 5 signs | | | | his or her physical need, or take the opposite tack |
| of emotional abuse in a relationship: | | | | and purposefully withhold affection and intimacy from |
| 1. Criticism comes your way from your partner on a | | | | you. |
| regular basis. Put downs are common, but it can also | | | | 5. You find yourself walking on eggshells often, |
| be as subtle as "suggestions" from your partner | | | | concerned about the consequences of not meeting |
| about how to do things the "right" way. | | | | your partner's demands and needs. Sometimes your |
| 2. When you arrive home at the end of the day, you | | | | partner does a kind thing for you, but it is random or |
| feel obligated or forced to give an account of your | | | | a reaction to you pulling away from the relationship, |
| daily activities - and defend yourself for your choices. | | | | rather than a sincere attempt to establish a new |
| If you are interested in an educational or work | | | | pattern of behavior and better treatment of you. |
| opportunity, your partner is frequently negative or | | | | Sooner or later the abuse cycle will begin again. |
| discouraging of it - or anything else that takes you | | | | |