Warning signs of a controlling relationship.

A controlling relationship is hard to get out of and harder to spot the red flags early on. It’s a common misconception that women with low self-esteem date controlling men. In reality, the controlling partner has had plenty of practice and knows what to say to try trapping you in the relationship.

What To Look For.

They do this by slowly diminishing the self-esteem you had walking into the relationship. It’s hard to identify controlling behavior in the relationship if you don’t know what’s considered controlling. Almost every victim was unaware of their partner’s possessive behavior until later in the relationship, making it harder to cut ties. There are red flags that appear small and even sweet sometimes, but these traits could become an issue later. A few red flags to look for are:

• He Comes on Strong: He knows what to say to make you believe he is falling for you quickly.
• Keeps tabs on you 24/7: At first, it might seem caring and concerned, but later in the relationship, it becomes more demanding.
• Your Time is His Time: No couple should spend every part of the day together. A controlling person will act upset if you take any time for yourself without them.
• Always Decides for You: You might think it’s sweet he wants to handle things for you. Over time they will expect to make all of your decisions and become agitated if you disagree.

How To Handle Your Partners Controlling Behavior

If you find yourself in a controlling relationship, there are two ways you can handle it either:

1. Sit with your partner and talk to them about their behavior so the both of you can figure out a possible solution.
2. Or call the relationship off if you decide their behavior has become unforgivable.

Talking to your partner is always a good idea because it gives you an idea of what they think of their behavior and if they are willing to change it. Unfortunately, most of the time, your partner has been like this for some time and aware it’s controlling.That isn’t to say that it’s impossible to change controlling behavior once it starts. Just don’t be surprised if your partner doesn’t change as promised. Relationships like this usually don’t last long. If you still aren’t sure whether or not your partner is possessive or controlling.Take a look at more warning signs I’ve listed below:

1. Isolates you from friends and family: They might even do this by turning you against your family and friends by making you feel disrespected by them.
2. Hiding innocent things from them: If you find yourself avoiding telling them about minor incidents out of concern for their reaction. They might exhibit controlling behavior.
3. Treats you like a child instead of an equal: You shouldn’t feel like your partner is your parent. Having concern for one another is one thing. If act like they have to direct your life for you as though your incompetent then it’s an issue.
4. Always keeping score: If your partner constantly brings the past up to make you feel guilty. It probably needs addressing.
5. Always apologizing for everything: You might find yourself apologizing for things done to you, or accidental things that normally wouldn’t warrant apologies.
6. Their love is conditional: There shouldn’t be stipulations you must follow to receive love and affection from your partner. For example. “If you lost weight you’d be attractive again”.

Conclusions

These are just a few examples of controlling behavior. Hopefully, what I’ve listed here gives you an idea of what this type of behavior looks like. Having a healthy relationship requires effort from both sides. You shouldn’t feel like the only one putting forth effort and being unappreciated for it.