How controlling partners entrap.
In a relationship with an intimate partner who uses coercion, your life is impacted in many hurtful ways. But, coercive abuse is rarely constant. When the behavior shifts to kind or caring behaviors, the relief it brings gets your full attention. The difficulty is consistently taking seriously what you know feels bad when you’re also getting affection from the same person. This is the greatest obstacle to protecting yourself.
Cyclical Pattern of Coercion
A 30-year-old woman in my Recovery Group for Women with Controlling Partners said of her physically abusive husband, “He can be the sweetest person.”