Relationships don’t typically start out as abusive. Instead, the abuse slowly creeps in over time, as the person being abused is groomed to ignore the signs and begins to feel too entwined to leave. Twitter user Alyssa Schoener shared her own experience of abuse in high school, which sparked a valuable conversation:
https://twitter.com/alyssa_schoener/status/1107387539638419456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The tweet went viral, which more than 125,000 likes and 500 comments. Many Twitter users responded to share their own stories of controlling, coercive, and abusive behavior. For example:
https://twitter.com/thomasjeferstan/status/1107402522573131777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
And these stories:
https://twitter.com/ha_l_i/status/1107713726252224512
I was at my grandmothers memorial service about to spread her ashes and my ex threatened to break up with me if I didn’t tell him every single person I ever kissed or even liked in my entire life. 🚮🚮 throw them away
— Brittany (@itsbrittanybit_) March 19, 2019
Others shared the red flags they saw in their own relationships, and were encouraged to rethink things:
I am here to be the sign that tells you that you better run before it’s too late because it only gets worse from there😔
— Kaitlynn Turner (@TurnerKaitlynn) March 18, 2019
Men also chimed in, sharing their work to be better:
I used to be that guy – genuinely recognized the unhealthy tendencies and spent a lot of time in therapy and self-care working it out. Over corrected so severely that my most recent ex dumped me because I was too agreeable. If somebody finds the right balance please DM it to me
— B Rigby (@BearRigby) March 18, 2019
The entire thread is worth a read, and reveals many of the signs of domestic abuse, as noted by The National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you are struggling with domestic violence, you can reach the hotline by calling 1-800-799-7223.