Relationship messages

The messages we get around relationships and abuse in our culture can be so very confusing and harmful.

We get bombarded with messages about the importance of family, of staying connected and how we only get one family and how blood is thicker than water.

There are often questions about why someone has cut off contact with their family, suggesting that there is something wrong with the person who is protecting themselves.

And, at the same time, these same people will ask someone who was in a domestically violent relationship why they didn’t leave sooner.

This is a friendly reminder from a therapist that remaining in a relationship of any kind that is abusive, toxic or violent is not required for any reason. And I also want to acknowledge just how hard it can be to get ourselves out of such relationships.