How to Get Out of an Abusive Relationship

If you are in an abusive relationship, the most important thing to do is get out of the relationship. Doing so can save your life and the lives of your children. Nobody deserves to be abused in a relationship, and there are infrastructures put in place to help you leave an abusive situation.

Instructions

1. Contact a friend or a family member for assistance. The first thing you need is outside help when you have been abused in a relationship. Don't try to handle the situation on your own. Tell a friend or a family member that you need their help getting out and ask if you can stay with them for the time being.

2. Remove yourself from the abusive situation as soon as possible. If you have been abused by someone you loved, don't remain alone with that person. After you have contacted a friend or a family member and found a place to stay, take yourself and your children to their place of residence. Do not tell the person who has abused you where you are going. Simply pack your essentials and leave quickly without giving any means of being contacted.

3. Call the police. Being physically abused, even by someone you loved, is against the law. Get the police involved by making a formal complaint and follow through on all police matters. Without your cooperation, the police may be forced to drop the case.

4. Get counseling. Being abused can leave longstanding emotional scars. Seeing a counselor and joining support groups can help you recover. Also, if your children witnessed the abuse, enroll your children in counseling as well.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have any place to go, contact a shelter. Don't feel like you have to stay in abusive relationship just because you can't stay with a friend or family member.

• Don't hide an abusive relationship from friends and family. The more people who are aware of your situation, the more likely it is that you can get the help you need.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Find a network for battered women at snbw.org.
• Locate a shelter and other resources at endabuse.org.
• At therapistlocator.net, you can find a counselor in your area.