 It's really easy to say someone or a relationship is abusive when it's physical It's not so easy to identify abuse when physical touch isn't involved requiring an awareness of non-physical forms of abuse Non-physical abuse encompasses behaviors that aim to control manipulate or demean a partner without relying on physical force such as emotional manipulation Psychological coercion and verbal insults. Is your relationship keeping you up at night or leaving you with a heavy heart all day? So you can stop second-guessing yourself and get some answers. Here are some signs your relationship is actually abusive Too much of a good thing. Are you confused about how you got here since your relationship started off so well? Side-dated someone once let's call them Aaron Aaron could have fallen out of an episode of Bridgerton. He was that perfect Good morning and good night texts daily flowers sent to the office lavish gifts or a trip every weekend As I said a rom-com in real life It was a whirlwind romance and Psy was convinced they were soulmates Aaron promised Psy they'd be together and Psy knew it was finally true love almost overnight Aaron changed and made Psy feel indebted to him because of his kindness a Psy felt manipulated by Aaron Aaron had now created this power dynamic over Psy and Psy didn't know what to do Does this sound too familiar? If so, you might have experienced love bombing Therapist Sharon Piccar Explains that love bombing is a manipulation tactic used by abusers to gain your trust and affection within a short amount of time While there's nothing wrong with frequent gestures of love Love bombing is immediately withdrawn with no reason. This intense love and abrupt stop is a red flag that your relationship is abusive Are you sure? Does your partner make you feel like you're losing your mind? Not in a figurative sense, but in a real way where you're having to second-guess yourself all the time Maybe your partner lies and twists the truth, but never admits to doing so Maybe they tell you you never asked them to take the garbage out when you did twice already If this sounds like your partner, they may be gaslighting you for instance If your partner hurts your feelings do they respond by saying but I would never hurt you instead of taking ownership and Apologizing the Berkeley science reviews explained that gaslighting is a manipulation tactic and a type of emotional abuse They can take a serious toll on your mental health according to their research Victims of gaslighting start to feel unsure about their perceptions of the world and even wonder if they're losing their sanity If your partner is engaging in gaslighting tactics There is a reason you feel insane and that reason is not you if they're gaslighting you It may be necessary to protect yourself from their harmful behavior. This is abusive If you're finding this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to help our channel reach those who need it, too Pop it on strings Have you ever wondered if the problems in your relationship might be because you're dating a narcissist? Therapist Elizabeth Cohen says abuse in any form is difficult to discern But narcissistic abuse is particularly hard to notice as the toxic relationship and the abuser can present Perfect in the beginning if your partner has narcissistic personality disorder NPD or has narcissistic tendencies They may have little empathy and see you as beneath them which can lead to abusive behaviors These abusive behaviors can look like withholding affection or money as a way to punish you trying to interfere or sabotage your career Hobbies or the other relationships in your life Taking your phone demanding to know your passwords or even making Sarcastic comments to bully you out of hanging out with certain people Cohen confirms that these are behaviors meant to help your partner assert their power over you These actions can have a real impact on you and can even lead to PTSD Anxiety and depression if you notice these behaviors in your significant other you may be experiencing narcissistic abuse Always remember you can reach out to a trusted mental health professional to talk things out trauma bonding Dr. Patrick Karns the founder of the International Institute for trauma and addiction Professionals defines a trauma bond as a bond with someone destructive to you This happens easily since the abuser is usually very charming and makes wonderful promises An attachment can develop as the abuser creates and maintains power over you Making you feel like you can't ever leave the relationship and a trauma bond can happen to anyone as Therapist Terry Cole explains falling prey to a trauma bond definitely doesn't mean that you're weak Nor is it something to be ashamed of this can happen to anybody No matter how capable and strong you are if you need an example of a trauma bond couple look no further than Harley and her Harley Quinn was Joker's psychiatrist while he was in Arkham Asylum Somehow she became attached to Joker as she related to the same traumas that he'd been through through this attachment She fell in love and then fell into the vat of acid. We know that story What now it can be hard to learn about the signs of being in an abusive relationship Especially if you don't believe you're a victim of abuse or in an abusive relationship It can happen to anyone it's normal to want to fight for the relationship But if your relationship is truly abusive, it isn't healthy to stay in that environment If you feel like you're being mentally or emotionally abused It's time to make a safe exit plan and open up to someone you trust when creating your safety plan It's important You don't share it with your partner or anyone who may share it with them if you believe your significant other might be Monitoring your activity keep your digital information safe with new passwords Recognizing signs of abuse is the first step in protecting yourself. It's crucial to take action and seek the help you deserve There are hotlines available in the description box below for help if you notice any of these signs in your relationship Please share this video if you found it helpful or think it can help someone else and before you go We thought you also might want to see this five signs. You have emotional trauma and how to heal Here's the next chapter in our ongoing Psych2Go story series that we've been putting our hearts into Our stories are more than just entertainment They're a journey into the realms of mental health and relationships Be a pioneer and explore our exclusive playlist Stories that entertain educate and empower. What are you waiting for? I see you click on our playlist