When a Relationship Makes You Sick
Being controlled or abused can lead to multiple medical problems .
People who use coercive control against partners can go out of their way to seem charming and helpful to others .
The person being controlled , meanwhile , struggles to keep up appearances afraid to talk about what is really going on in their relationship . Victims tend to blame themselves as well
Isolated . Degraded . Manipulated . Threatened . Stalked . And sometimes subject to physical or sexual violence . It ’ s no won‐ der some people ' s relationships make them sick . Coercive control is a strategy some people use to dominate their intimate partners — mostly men over women . It ’ s not just bossiness ; it ’ s domination . Over time , people who are treated this way lose their autonomy , self-esteem , and sense of well- being . Between the direct acts of control and possibly violence , people in such relationships live in fear of doing any‐ thing that might anger their partners .
The distress is ongoing , even during periods that seem calm . Additionally , some con‐ trolling people deliberately weaken their partners physically — making them miss sleep , restricting their access to food and medical care , forcing them to have unwanted pregnancies , pushing them to use alcohol or drugs , or beating or sexually assaulting them . In a recent case , a man in England was convicted of coercive control and domestic violence : He forced his wife to run on a treadmill , and prevented her from eating anything other than beets and tuna fish for weeks on end , all in an attempt to make her look " hotter ."
Here are examples of how controlling people can directly interfere with their partner or ex-partners ' health :