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Unhealthy relationships are almost always characterised by emotional abuse.

What is Emotional Abuse?

Any behaviour by your partner that leaves you feeling out of control and diminished, never knowing where you stand and walking on egg shells.

+ Emotional abuse can be very harmful to a person's self+esteem and ability to leave an unhealthy relationship
+ The longer a person stays in an unhealthy relationship, the harder it is to leave.
+ Emotional abuse can quickly escalate to physical violence. Even if there is no physical violence in your relationship, you can be seriously damaged by emotional abuse. You cannot, in spite of what you may think, predict whether or not your partner will be violent towards you.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse does not necessarily happen on your first date, but gradually creeps into the relationship. You may only notice some of the features mentioned here.

Emotionally abusive relationships usually follow a rollercoaster ride of good and bad times which may have a number of patterns.

+ The outburst followed by the "honeymoon period" where you partner is apologetic and tries to make up for the outburst
+ The more subtle form of emotional abuse, where you never know where you stand in the relationship and feel that you have to anticipate your partner's moods and feelings in order to keep the relationship alive.

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