Top 5 Reasons why People Stay in Abusive Relationships

Why do people stay in Abusive relationships? I am sure many of us have seen at least some of our friends, relatives or people known to us involved in an abusive relationship but still refuse to let go the person they are with. What is it that prompts men and women to stick on to such relationships? If we look into abusive relationships carefully we can notice that the reasons why people do not get out of such relationships can be mostly any of the 5 reasons listed below.

Low Self Esteem: The major reason why many people stay in their bad relationship is low self esteem. Some people take abuse because they are familiar with it and believe that they deserve it. In order to come out of this situation one has to start believing that they deserve better and work towards it.

Financial Benefits: Financial Dependency can prompt many people to stay in abusive relationships. When a person does not believe that they can provide food, clothing and shelter for themselves or think that they cannot survive on their own they may take abuse from the person who provides them with it. Such people believe that they have no other options than staying. I have often heard people saying, ‘Where would I go (What would I do) if I leave him?’ As long as the abused live in ‘hopelessness’ there cannot be change.

Not accepting there is a Problem: Closing the eyes during the day cannot change a day to night. But that is what many people do in relationships. They refuse to believe or acknowledge that there is a problem in their relationship and go on a denial mode. As long as a person does not think that she can no longer go on go on living a lie there is nothing anyone can do about the situation.

Children: Many stay in abusive relationships because of children who are dependent on them. They think what would happen to the kids or believe that children would suffer if they opt out of the abusive relationship. What they don’t realize is that by staying in a failed or destructive relationship they are teaching children how to abuse or be abused. Such kids can grow up to be a perpetrator or victim of abuse.

Society: Some people are more bothered about their culture, family, friends, community etc than them. They prefer to suffer in the relationship as they do not want rejection from the society.

Most people in abused relationships are aware of their shortfalls and what they need to do about it to change the situation. So is there a way out of this situation? Yes, taking help can make things easier for the abused. But first and foremost they should understand that there is nothing anyone can do if they are not willing to help themselves. They need to realize that they are ultimately responsible for their own happiness and should take the initiative to break the pattern or else the pattern would continue.