Are you in an unhealthy relationship?

Being in a relationship can be a great experience. But some relationships are unhealthy and can even be abusive. Being able to see the red flags early in your relationship is important so that you can reach out for help.

Signs that your relationship is unhealthy:

• Your partner controls where you go, what you wear, or what you do.
• Your partner tries to stop you from seeing or talking to family or friends.
• Your partner calls you names or criticizes you.
• Your partner threatens or scares you.
• Your partner hits, slaps, pushes, or kicks you.
• Your partner pressures you to have sex by saying things like ‘if you loved me you would’.
• Your partner tries to control you by checking your phone to see who you’re talking to and what you’re talking about.

If you are experiencing any of the signs above then you are in an unhealthy relationship. It could also be abusive, so it’s important to speak to someone to get help. 

Abuse by a partner is also known as intimate partner violence and there are different ways that someone you’re in a relationship with can abuse you.

• Physical abuse: May include slapping, beating, pinching, hair pulling, threatening or attacking with a weapon, or locking your partner in a room.
• Sexual abuse: May include forcing your partner to have sex or do something sexual when they don’t want to.
• Financial abuse: May include refusing to give money to support your child or taking money away from your partner. 
• Emotional abuse: May include insults, humiliation, intimidation, and control. These could include things like saying “You’re so ugly” or “You’re so useless”; putting down your partner in front of others; stopping them from seeing family and friends and wanting to know everything they do. 

If you can see unhealthy patterns in your relationship or if your partner abuses you, please go to your local clinic and speak to a healthcare provider, social worker, counsellor, or psychologist and ask for help. You can find help here.

You can also contact loveLife here:

Still unsure about which behaviours make a relationship unhealthy? Check out this video with Biza and Lungi :

Struggling with communication in your relationship? Check out this page to get tips.

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