Many people who come to realize they are involved in abusive relationships still wonder why they can’t break free of those involvements. When a professional counselor reviews their past and present relationship patterns, it’s not uncommon to find a long history of abusiveness that the person has learned to tolerate.
Seldom can people identify what “woke them up” to the fact they are being abused, but once they do so, most people feel lost and helpless. This is because they have not learned the skills necessary to be assertive within an abusive situation. They may be trapped by longstanding fears or patterns of insecurity.
Many people have found that positive change is possible by working with a professional counselor to explore areas of values clarification and assertiveness training. In this way, an individual can learn to deal effectively with abusive behavior and improve his or her quality of life.
