Is my relationship healthy?

It can be hard to tell when a relationship is healthy, unhealthy or even abusive. Sometimes we’re so in love with our boyfriend or girlfriend that we miss some obvious signs that things aren’t going well. Here are some common signs of abuse:

Your partner constantly checks in on you.

It’s normal and cute when your significant other sends a text to ask how your day’s going or how you did on a test. But it could be abusive if your partner is constantly checking in on you and wants full rundowns of who you’re with, what you’ve been up to and where you’ve been.

Your partner is super jealous of other people.

It’s normal to feel jealous from time to time, but it could be abusive if your partner doesn’t let you talk to other girls or guys or want to read your texts or Facebook messages sent to other people.

They don’t want you to spend time with friends or family.

Spending a ton of time with your significant other is awesome, but your relationship could be abusive if he or she doesn’t let you see other people. Remember that should always have the freedom to hang out with your friends, go to work, play sports and go to school.

Your partner has a bad temper and blames things on you.

Everyone gets pissed off, but it may be a sign of abuse if your partner yells at you or blames you for things constantly. Saying things like “you made me do this” and blaming you for their feelings are signs of abuse.

They insult you and people you care about.

Being insulted by your partner or having your partner insult people you care about are signs of abuse. Telling you “no one but me will love you because you’re ugly/fat/boring” or humiliating you in public aren’t okay. These actions can make you blame or hate yourself, which isn’t healthy.

Your significant other makes you do things you’re not comfortable with.

No one has the right to touch you or force you to have sex without your consent. Any form of sexual touching that you don’t want is sexual assault. Remember that you don’t owe anyone anything just because you’re in a relationship, you love them or you’ve done it with them before. Your partner should respect your feelings and your right to consent.

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