A Man’s Best Friend

For many years I have seen and been envious of different people and the love they have for their children. I have also been envious of the love and devotion that people have for their pets. To be honest, I always thought some pet owners were ridiculous and acted childish with their concern over a cat or dog. After all, it is “just an animal right?”

After all, it is “just an animal, right?

I must say that recently my understanding of the love pet owners have for their friend has grown immensely. Being a very meticulous and compulsive person in many ways I have lived alone most of my life. I like things a certain way and am very particular about how things are done. It has been a nuisance to some degree living this way and has caused difficulties in numerous relationships. At 44 years old now, I have never been married, have no children, and my parents and closest family members have mostly passed on. Living alone and being alone most of the time has really started to bother me.

For the past few years, I have been attempting to be an animal lover and have tried 2 kittens, a very complex saltwater reef aquarium, and a girlfriend with a chihuahua. I am definitely not a cat guy, lol, loved the aquarium but was a full-time job, and the girlfriend didn’t make it due to my OCD tendencies. So I sat back and waited for a pet to come to me when the time was right.

A few weeks ago a friend (Janice) I hadn’t spoken to for almost 10 years posted on Facebook trying to find a loving home for a ‘lil pup. A few people responded and I gave it a quick thought but then figured it looked like a pit bull and why would someone be giving away a puppy if there wasn’t a problem with it. That was that, I just forgot about it.

Two weeks ago, out of the blue Janice contacted me after hearing about me talking of getting a dog from a mutual friend. I said I don’t know, what breed is it? How old? Long or short hair, male or female? Gave the puppy the complete rundown before ever giving it a chance or seeing it. So I said I’d let her know all the while never planning on it.

For some reason, one day I got back to her and told her I’d take him and he would be loved no matter what kind of dog he was. Janice was so happy and excited it made me laugh. I instantly got frustrated with myself and regretted my decision on taking the dog. I thought of every possible worse case scenario that could come to mind and had anxiety for the next two days over this mutt coming to my house. All I could think of is it stinking up my house and being a nuisance.

When Coby arrived it was love at first sight. This puppy has changed me in so many ways I can’t explain. My entire outlook has changed and it is all due to my little friend and his companionship. He is a God sent gift that has brought a meaning to life and how it can be shared in harmony. He is such a good boy and a true miracle in so many ways!

God bless all the happy pet owners out there, I understand exactly how you feel! 

― #Bobby C.

Continue reading “A Man’s Best Friend”

Cute and No Partner

Attractive people can have just as many struggles finding someone.

Attractiveness can convey more power over visible space, but that, in turn, can make others feel they can’t approach that person – Dr. Tonya Frevert

While it may seem that people who are more physically attractive have an easier time finding a partner, this may not always be true. Physical attraction definitely plays a role in selecting a partner. People are first drawn by what they see. Attractive people have an easier time drawing new people and potential partners in. There’s no denying this.

However, the attraction is more than just about the outside. Attractive people can have just as many struggles finding someone to connect with as someone who has average looks. There are plenty of reasons that someone who is beautiful and it may have the same dating woes as everyone else.

Social psychologist Lisa Slattery Walker explains, “We have a whole set of cultural ideals about beauty that let us say if someone is attractive – and through those same ideals, we begin to associate it with competence.”

HERE ARE 7 SURPRISING DISADVANTAGES OF BEING DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS

1. BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY OPTIONS

While this may not seem like much of a problem, having too many options when it comes to dating can be just as difficult as having no options at all. Social psychologist Christine Ma-Kellams explains, “I think attractiveness gives you more options in terms of relationship alternatives which might make it harder to protect a relationship from outside threats. In this sense, having too many other choices is likely not beneficial for relationship longevity.”

Having an overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to dating can make it hard to connect with one person. After all, dating is something that can lead to connecting and falling in love with someone for the rest of your life.

The idea of having to choose one of many can be daunting.

2. POTENTIAL PARTNERS ARE WARY OF YOUR OPTIONS

Attractive people may intimidate potential partners from making a move because they’re vibrantly aware that they have an array of different people to choose from. This can stop the good-hearted and genuine people from trying to make their move and get to know a person better. It can be disheartening to be part of a competition for someone’s affection, and people may not want to risk being turned down.

Pretty-lonely-girl-anonymous people

3. THEY’RE JUDGED BY THEIR LOOKS

After all, this is the first thing that many people see when they meet another person. Attractive people can be judged on their looks just as easily as people who aren’t as attractive. Whether this comes with the “Ditzy Blonde” stereotype or the “Meathead Jock” stereotype, attractive people are often judged based on their looks, which makes it hard to make a real connection with someone after they’ve already decided your personality based on how you look.

4. PEOPLE WANT TO USE THEM FOR THEIR BODIES

Attractive people often face the unique challenge of people using them for their looks and their bodies. They may be faced with people who try to get close to them and feign interest in them long enough to get intimate, and then being dropped emotionally. This may put people on edge and make them closed off from connecting to other people because they’re used to being used.

5. PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THEY’RE LOOSE

Good-looking people often have a stigma attached to them that assumes that they’re loose. Attractive people are often seen as sexual creatures and nothing else. Their agency is stripped from them and people often refuse to see them as wholly realized people with interests and opinions.

It can be extremely draining and put them off of dating

6. IT’S HARDER TO FIGURE OUT PEOPLE’S TRUE INTENTIONS

Isabell Giardini, a 22-year-old Italian beauty who signed with Major Models mentioned, “When men see beautiful women, they are more concentrated on how she looks because they want to ‘have’ her, and so they don’t want to go deeper and get to know her…”

Hence, attractive people will be faced with the problem of trying to figure out what people really want from them. They’re often stuck with trying to figure out if someone is interested in them for their personality or their looks, which can make connecting with people difficult.

7. THEIR LOOKS CAN CAUSE DRAMA

This can range from people talking behind their back based on stereotypes associated with their looks, or even the source of jealousy. Dealing with drama can be difficult for any person, and attractive people are no different. The drama can make dating difficult because the word of drama often spreads quicker than it can be contained. Everyone loves drama, expect when it comes to drama based on your looks.

Everyone loves drama, expect when it comes to drama based on your looks

When it comes to being attractive, there are plenty of good things that come with it. Of course, there are social advantages that come with being attractive. At the same time, being attractive can cause a lot of difficulties when it comes to dating. Fortunately, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel and plenty of fish in the sea. If you’re attractive and find yourself struggling with dating, just remember that there will always be someone willing to see past your face and look into your soul.

Source:

August 2017 Taurus

YOUR HOROSCOPE BY SUSAN MILLER

Hold on to your hat, as changes are on the way. Your life in August – and possibly September, too – will be very busy and likely to be memorable. Eclipses change the status quo, shake us up, and take us out of our comfort zone. It is through adapting to change and moving forward that we grow and mature. Life is for the courageous, and you will see this to be true as you gain experience. If you should feel you don’t like the changes that come up, you will be able to make changes later. Keep an open mind – an eclipse can take several weeks, and sometimes several months – before its message is clearly delivered. For that reason, don’t say any certain eclipse was good or bad; the universe needs time to show you its plan.

The way things play out might be better than anything you could have imagined, for the first eclipse, August 7 in Aquarius 15 degrees, will hit the very pinnacle point of your chart – your tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement. This suggests exciting professional recognition is on the way to you. A full moon brings a culmination to events, so the work you’ve been doing in your career, possibly going back a decade or more, will be rewarded and known by many in your industry or the world at this time.

Sometimes the reward comes naturally, without too much effort. In that case, you might get a promotion or an offer for an exciting new job. Sometimes the universe has to figure out a way to get you out of your current career position so that you can find a new position that would use your talents more fully. In that case, you might be forced to leave, at no fault of your own, and then have to look for that new position. If this is how it works out for you, look with confidence. Later you will say that they did you a favor. Here is why I feel that way.

Jupiter, the good fortune planet, is currently moving through your workaday sector (sixth house), indicating you’ve been working on a number of special projects that have come to the attention of VIPs. They clearly are impressed with your work, and clients are pleased to, and subsequently, these influential people have put you on the short list of stars that show great potential. Now it’s time for your reward. Or, it may be, say, you are a director, have finished shooting a major movie, and now it’s finished and about to be released – I feel you will garner much acclaim.

If you are self-employed, you know by now that you get new clients, and for any reason, lose a client, a shift seems to be underway, but none so much as to worry you. I should mention that no matter if you are self-employed or work for others, this month you might get an award or excellent publicity. If you do, it will change everything – your outlook, your prospects, your plans, and your own view of yourself – for this is the aim of an eclipse. The universe will find a way to give you reward in one way or another, so keep your eyes open and stay optimistic. It’s also possible that a top-level woman (lunar eclipses point to women) might announce a departure from the company and that change in the hierarchy could create an opportunity for you.

The month’s second eclipse, August 21 in Leo, 29 degrees, will focus on your home and property, or possibly your family. You may be relocating to accommodate the new job or move now that you can raise your standard of living due to the better pay you will be making. Or, it may be that you need to make an important repair or renovation on your home, and that may have nothing to do with your career. This eclipse is a new moon, which opens a window of opportunity when none existed before. Eclipses tend to bring sudden news, so be ready. You may move, switch roommates (or have none at all, thereby doubling your space), paint rooms, or undertake a number of changes to your home to make it cheerful and a cozier place to be. You might buy or rent a new property, such as a vacation home, for example. If you have been trying to think of a way to assist one of your parents, the new moon solar eclipse of August 21 can help you find the ideal solution, for your parents are covered by the same fourth house.

This August 21 eclipse will receive a shimmering beam from Uranus, bringing surprise news, and from Saturn, increasing your sense of security. No matter how many ways you look at the facets of this eclipse, it should be favorable or have very favorable parts or outcome. A golden triangle of enormous harmony will appear in the heavens linking the eclipse: Sun (new moon plus Mars cuddled in your house of home), to Uranus (surprising, sudden help), and the third part of the triangle, to Saturn (currently in your financial house of other people’s money). If you need funding, there is a good chance you will get precisely the amount of money you need, such as from a home improvement loan or mortgage, as two examples, of funds that you might need. If your parents are in good health, one parent might be very sympathetic to your needs and give you a financial gift or loan to help you get started.

Saturn has been in your eighth house of other people’s money for nearly forever (I overstate – it’s only been two-and-a-half years, but it might FEEL tough taskmaster Saturn has been in your financial house forever). You may have been saving up for a house, but found the many sacrifices you had to do difficult. Now it seems that you will have the chance to finally buy that house, or if you are more mature, finally pay off your house completely. Yet I feel even enforced changes will work to your benefit. If you are not ready to do either of these things, then be cheered in knowing Saturn will leave your financial house of other people’s money on December 20 of this year and not return until 2044.

You won’t have to wait long to see results – the August 7 full moon lunar eclipse will have a major effect on your career. It will bring attention to all you’ve done, and to the promise of what you will achieve in the future.

To get a better clue of what the eclipse might bring, you might want to think back nineteen years, to August 8, 1998, when you last had a similar eclipse to the one you will have August 7, 2017. Those two eclipses are in the same sign of Aquarius and both at 15 degrees. Also look back to August 22, 1998, same month, when you have the same solar eclipse at the same 29-degree and sign of Leo. You might pick up a theme.

If you have a birthday that falls on or very close to May 6, you might feel changes in your career, but you will benefit from the changes. You like things to remain steady, as your Taurus Sun teaches you to be consistent.

If you have a birthday that falls on or close to May 19, opportunities arising regarding your home or family may get you moving. If you were not born near either date, you will feel them equally but not likely strenuously.

On my website online, AstrologyZone.com, I have a table of eclipses going back to 1994 and forward to 2030 so you can see which dates stand out for you. No eclipse will ever repeat exactly because each one is individual. The other planets change position continually and that matters. Look on the website at the Learn Astrology link for that list of all the eclipses.

Also below the table of eclipses is an essay I wrote, “How to Deal with Eclipses.” That article is also on the premium version of my paid app, called Susan Miller’s Astrology Zone Daily Horoscope. (The app is available on Apple App Store and Google Play.) On the app, look under Life + Love, then go to Susan’s Essays to find the piece I wrote on how to best deal with eclipses. Or, see it instantly on my website’s homepage online. The table of eclipse dates is only found on my website homepage lower left side, but not on my premium app.

This is an exciting month, Taurus.

Summary

Two friendly eclipses are coming this month and they will cut through the vertical center of your chart (from where the 12 and 6 would appear on a clock’s face), bringing important changes to your career and to your living quarters or other property you may own or rent. Choose not to go on vacation in August, as news will come to the surface like a geyser, and you will need to be at your usual base to make decisions and to direct others

You won’t have to wait long to see results – the August 7 full moon lunar eclipse will have a major effect on your career. It will bring attention to all you’ve done, and to the promise of what you will achieve in the future. A woman may announce a departure, creating surprise among the staff, but the vacancy will create an opportunity for you, too.

The August 7 lunar eclipse is remarkably friendly. This full moon will be showered with lovely beams from Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, from your house of work projects, indicating a plum job may come up that allows you to prove your worth. Apparently, your reputation precedes you, and as a result of your work on this and assignments are done earlier, you will be in line for praise and possible promotion or an offer from a competitive company. If you are self-employed, you are likely to pick up a lucrative new client.

Because Saturn is so closely supportive, no matter if you work for others or for yourself, the career events that happen now should increase your financial security. Mercury will be retrograde from August 12 to September 5 so take your time mulling things over. Fortunately, it’s vacation time, and let’s hope that you will not be pressured to decide yet. The one exception to this rule is that you can decide immediately if you want to take the job if have already worked with a company – or if you almost did, but for some reason, the timing was not right back then, you can work for that new company now. You have a history together and started the relationship some time ago. (This also works in reverse. If you wanted to hire someone then, but now have a new chance to hire that person, you can act when Mercury retrogrades – there is more to do together.)

Several industries shine now: The Internet, digital world, telecommunications, the space sciences, charities, a not-for-profit company, or social work or the humanities – you will do especially well, as this full moon is in Aquarius, ruling these areas. The full moon always brings news to culmination – you will hear soon.

The second eclipse of August 21 will be a new moon solar eclipse in Leo and focus you on your home. Solar eclipses are known to open a new path, so if you hoped to renovate your kitchen, redo your closets, make home repairs, find a new roommate (or see one leave, thereby doubling your space), you will get your moment. You can buy a house or condo, or sell one. You may move residences to take advantage of career opportunities or upgrade your living situation due to the fine things happening in your career. Or, if you are getting serious about the one you love, it may be time to move in together. With a solar eclipse happening this month, someone may be “eclipsed out” of your home environment, such as a roommate, or you may see your landlord or superintendent change.

Mars, the action planet, will be in your home sector all month, giving extra emphasis to this part of your chart. Mars brings noise and movement – you may move, yes, or you may simply invite guests to stay over in your guest room, or give a party. Keep in mind that events that happen at eclipse time always fall outside the norm – eclipses are powerful and can bring on the major life altering events, in this case, most likely happy ones. Mars will work with Jupiter on August 20 – felt for many days before and after – another fortunate coincidence, suggesting that you will move into a new home, or make your current home more spacious, sunnier, or beautiful. Jupiter is now in your sixth house, indicating that you might be setting up a home office or exercise room (as the sixth house would cover both areas, or either one).

Romance will not take center stage, not unless you are moving in together, or one of you is moving out (either is possible). If your birthday falls near May 5, you will feel the first eclipse, August 7, with changes in your career most directly. If your birthday falls near May 19, you will feel this eclipse strongly.

It is rare to see an eclipse as positive as the one August 21. All solar eclipses, like this one, are new moons, known to open a previously locked door. This solar eclipse will also create a triangle in the sky, linking Saturn (security), Uranus (sudden change), and the Sun and the moon (opportunity). If you need funds such as a mortgage or bank home improvement loan or cash for a down payment from family, you are likely to get it this extraordinary month. Life can’t always be this sweet, but when it is, take full advantage.

Eclipses run in families of signs, and the first one in this family occurred six months ago, on the full moon lunar eclipse on February 10. That one emphasized your home and family, just like the one August 21 will do. Any discussions that came up then will be advanced to a new level now at the next eclipse in Leo, August 21. Remember that some eclipses are felt one month to the day earlier or one month to the day later plus or minus five days.

This family of eclipses in Leo-Aquarius will keep coming every six months in different degrees of the same two signs until January 2019, at which time you will be fully transformed. You won’t feel all the eclipses in the series of signs, only the ones that touch your natal Sun, moon, or planet in your chart. As we go along I will tell you.

More importantly, eclipses repeat every 19 years, so think back to the time near August 8 and August 22 in 1998 to see what came up then, for you may find a theme to be loosely echoed now.

Original source:

YOUR HOROSCOPE BY SUSAN MILLER

Continue reading “August 2017 Taurus”

Suffering Relationships

11 QUOTES TO REMEMBER WHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS SUFFERING

Conflict is only one part of a romantic relationship, not the whole of it.
When your partnership is suffering, it can seem like the current conflict is the most important part, but it’s not. Let’s look at some quotes to remember when you’re not in a good place in your relationship.

1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO ILLUMINATE YOUR PATH

– #Kristen Butler, founder Power of Positivity

 

2. EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY. SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHAPTERS IN OUR LIVES WON’T HAVE A TITLE UNTIL MUCH LATER. – #BOB GOFF

According to a study in the journal Social Psychology and Personality, relationships may seem to suffer for a time. Researchers say when you go through a breakup, your friends might not be supportive.

The social stigma of being in a newer relationship could be a good thing. “It may be, for example, that those involved in shorter relationships construe the salience of social stigma as an indicator of things to come and therefore focus on the obstacles and challenges they will need to surmount in their relationships, while those involved in longer relationships may recall all of the hardships and challenges they have already overcome in their relationships and see the future as all the brighter.“

uncertainty

3. BELIEVE GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN AND THEY WILL

See things from a positive perspective in your relationship, which may be a total reversal from how you see them now.
A man was going to divorce his wife, but decided to hug her after his therapist told him to tell his wife he wasn’t angry with her again, as if this time, his wife wasn’t wrong. If you believe your partner to be wrong, you are going to see only the things that prove yourself to be right, not the small loving acts that your partner does when they aren’t annoying you.

good things

4. A WOMAN IS UNSTOPPABLE AFTER SHE REALIZES SHE DESERVES BETTER.

deserve better

5. GO AND LOVE SOMEONE EXACTLY AS THEY ARE.

And then watch how quickly they transform into the greatest, truest version of themselves.
When one feels seen and appreciated in their own essence, one is instantly empowered.

love someone as they are

6. SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM EVERYONE.

Sometimes you need to spend time alone, to experience, appreciate, and love yourself.
Researchers in the American Journal of Family Therapy say that working on our own emotional intelligence skills leads to better relationship happiness now and in the future. The researchers suggest that: Better perception, understanding, managing and harnessing of emotions in the self may lead individuals to do better in and be more satisfied with romantic relationships.

For instance, (1) higher levels of self-management of emotions may lead to more relationship satisfaction; (2) better understanding of others’ emotions in conjunction with insight into one’s own emotions may lead individuals to enter relationships with more compatible partners; (3) higher levels of emotionally competent behavior may make it more likely that individuals will establish and maintain mutually satisfying relationships; and (4) some of these emotionally skilled behaviors may be observed and acquired by relationship partners, leading to further increases in relationship satisfaction.”

spend time alone

7. BLESSED IS THE PERSON WHO HEARS ‘I LOVE YOU’ DAILY.

i love you

8. NOTICE PEOPLE WHO MAKE AN EFFORT TO STAY IN YOUR LIFE.

make an effort

9. I’M GRATEFUL TO WAKE UP AND KNOW THAT I HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE.

Live like you’re in the movie Groundhog Day.

another chance

10. IF YOU STILL TALK ABOUT IT, YOU STILL CARE ABOUT IT.

You are giving energy to what you care about by speaking it aloud.
That means that if you are still talking about your relationship even though you are suffering, you still clearly care deeply about it.

care about it

11. I’VE LEARNED THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I CARE, SOME PEOPLE JUST DON’T CARE BACK.

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, any only seconds to destroy it.

be loved

(C)POWER OF POSITIVITY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
SOURCES:
SOCIAL STIGMA AND ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS
THE JOURNAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PERSONALITY
https://ORE.EXETER.AC.UK/REPOSITORY/BITSTREAM/HANDLE/10871/26277/DOYLEMOLIXSPPS2014.PDF?SEQUENCE=1
TRAIT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION: A META-ANALYSIS THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FAMILY THERAPY
HTTP://SALUDESA.ORG.EC/BIBLIOTECA/SALUD%20MENTAL/INTELIGENCIA_EMOCIONAL_Y_RELACION_DE_PAREJA.PDF

via 11 Quotes to Remember When Your Relationship Is Suffering

Abusive Relationships?

Abusive relationships are a pattern of abusive and coercive behaviors used to maintain power and control over a former or current intimate partner. Abuse can be emotional, financial, sexual or physical and can include threats, isolation, and intimidation. – Center For Relationship Abuse Awareness

“Why don’t you leave?”

People who’ve experienced domestic abuse are often asked this question. No matter the context or tone in which it’s asked, “Why don’t you leave?” is a futile inquiry.

Let’s think about this question a moment, shall we?

Human beings have evolved to be social creatures. We survived by forming groups, sharing resources, and establishing bonds. We’re uniquely capable of reciprocating love and care while sacrificing ourselves for the good of others.

Abuse, of any kind, goes against the fabric of our very design. As with all things our brain encounters that are foreign and aggressive, abused individuals are prone to mental disturbances.

The Mental Effects

Kathryn Patricelli, a psychologist and grief counselor, writes:

“Victimized people commonly develop emotional or psychological problems secondary to their abuse, including anxiety disorders and various forms of depression, (substance abuse disorders), or post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD].”

When our mental faculties are severely affected, it’s difficult to make any decision. It’s difficult to summon the capacity to do anything.

So, how hard must it be, then, for someone who’s being abused to think her way out of an abusive situation?

The mental effects of abuse leave a marked impact on a person’s mind. These effects also help explain common reasons given by people who stay in abusive relationships. Fear is a byproduct of abuse, and it’s a tremendously powerful one.

This article discusses some of the reasons why people stay in an abusive relationship. You’ll undoubtedly notice that “choice” isn’t something that applies. Finally, we’ll provide some resources that may help someone in an abusive situation.

HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE STAY IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS:

CONFLICTING EMOTIONS

A person betrays their partner’s trust the moment they become abusive. However, this betrayal (naturally) is not enough for most people to stop feeling love for their partner. The abused, initially, will warn their partner of the consequences if they continue the behavior. Sometimes, the abuser apologizes and promises to change. Unfortunately, they often don’t, and the abused becomes trapped in a “But I love them” situation.

Sometimes, the abused is very close to the abuser’s family or friends – this further complicates the situation. The thought of losing people they’ve come to love is dreadful.

FEELING OBLIGATED

A person may feel obligated or pressured to stay in an abusive relationship.

Having children, of course, is sometimes enough for a person to stay around. This situation is challenging, particularly when children aren’t privy to the abuse, or if they “side with” the abusive parent.

Finally, there are religious or cultural pressures with which some must contend. In the Philippines, for example, divorce is illegal; restricted to annulment or legal separation. In some predominantly Muslim countries, physical separation from a spouse is punishable by law regardless of reasons given. Extreme gender inequality, e.g. laws and regulations that overwhelmingly favor men, are common.

LACK OF RESOURCES

Finances can also get in the way of exiting an abusive relationship. If the abused is financially dependent on their partner, it may seem impossible for them to leave.

Indeed, without some source of funds, it’s easy to contemplate why one would feel this way.

The abused may also think they have nowhere to go. For some, finding shelter may be a phone call or two away. Others either don’t have a support network or don’t want to depend on someone else’s help (something that is strongly encouraged.)

Absent money or a support system, the last option is to reach out for public assistance. Again, the abused may or may not have access to such resources, not want to use them, or is unsure how to go about seeking help.

Finally, they may feel fearful of their partner discovering their intentions. This fear can feel so overwhelming as to “paralyze” the abused from taking any action.

HELP

First, it is important to understand that abuse is not the victim’s fault. Abusers can be very manipulative in this way. The ability to shed the burden of responsibility often makes the difference between seeking out help or not.

Second, most states and jurisdictions have stringent laws against abuse. The legal actions one can take depends on their situation, but a restraining order is likely to be issued – barring the abuser from contact lest they incur substantial penalties.

Lastly, there are good people waiting to help. If you’re uncertain what to do or what your options are, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit their website at http://www.thehotline.org. A chat option is also available.

via Relationship Experts Reveal 4 Reasons Why People Stay In Abusive Relationships