Being in an abusive relationship can feel like you are stuck. You might not think that you can leave. In fact, many victims of abuse can think of almost endless reasons why they have to stay put. The fact that you realize you are in an abusive relationship is one of the most important steps that you can take toward getting out of it.
When you are in this position, you might feel unsure of yourself. Some people think about abuse as physical — the kind of abuse that leaves bruises. This isn’t always the case. Some abusers use financial and emotional abuse to control the victim. In these cases, the financial abuse means that you might think you are stuck because you don’t have the money to support yourself. The emotional abuse might make you think that you are worthless.
In both of these cases, you might think that you are trapped the abusive relationship. This isn’t true. There are options for you to leave. If you plan on leaving, you should get ready for divorcing your ex.
No matter how frightened you are, you do have options. You can walk away from everything and start over. This might not be possible if you have children with your abuser. Still, having children together isn’t any reason to stay in an abusive relationship.
You do have the option of filing for divorce. You might also seek the protection of a restraining order so that your abusive ex can’t legally come near you or harass you. Just make sure that you are honest with yourself about what is going on.
Source: Healthy Place, “Leaving An Abusive Relationship: Why Can’t I Just Leave?,” Kellie Jo Holly, accessed April 06, 2018