By Katrina Broner

No one should ever have to live in fear for their life or their sanity. Too many times people think of domestic violence as just physical abuse and are oblivious to other forms. Among others there is also Verbal, Emotional, Financial, Sexual, Psychological and Neglect…it’s all abuse and it often goes hand in hand, or it’s just a matter of time until any of these turns into physical abuse.

These other forms often go undetected because many of us are not even aware of the signs of abuse. Unfortunately, in our society we easily brush it off as entertainment and even frequently mistake it for beautiful passionate love, only to be surprised when the ugly truth rears its head. I will use my experience as example for you or for someone else. No one intentionally enters an abusive relationship but facts are if you have been in one but don’t recognize the signs, even if you get out, you are likely to get into another abusive relationship and often with the same person.

It takes 5-7 violent and abusive acts for a person to leave their abuser but it is possible to avoid these toxic situations all together. These are the signs of a potentially abusive relationship you should look for: