Read up: if you check two or more on this list, you are probably in a relationship that is not safe for you. Get help if you or someone near and dear is in an abusive relationship or lend a hand to those in need.

Survivors of abuse often will note characteristics about their abusers that were similar to other abusers they have encountered. Sometimes those characteristics are things that can be noticed early on, before the abuse starts or escalates. These are warning signs of abusers, and they are worth thinking about so next time you are on a date you'll know what signs to watch out for. In this thread, our users share their own experiences with an abuser's personality traits.

Many people wind up in abusive relationships without realizing that the relationship is abusive. It can often take a while to come to that realization that a relationship is abusive, especially when you so desperately want for the relationship to work or have been fed cultural stereotypes and propoganda about how people in relationships should behave. In this thread, our users talk about what made them realize their relationship was abusive and what made them decide to get out, and how understanding that a relationship was abusive has impacted the rest of their lives and relationships.

One of our volunteers, Joey, leads an exercise in thinking about people you can turn to in a crisis. So who would you talk to when you need help? Come and share with our other users and get ideas from them about where you can go when you need someone to listen.