When a woman becomes depressed, she becomes an easy target for abuse and may get caught up in abusive relationships because of a diminished ability to make good decisions. Numerous women have realized that their partner was unfaithful, a thief, or a scoundrel operating behind their backs once their depression lifted.
You could easily become a target of violent abuse. If violence occurs in your relationship, leave the house immediately. Go to your mother’s, sister’s, or friend’s home, or even go to a women’s shelter for the evening. If children are involved, get them out of the house with you.
Find an advocate who can communicate with your partner for you so you will not remain a target for your partner’s recriminative abuse. If you wish, you can bring in social service workers or police as protectors and advocates; this is part of their job. In most communities, you can find the telephone numbers for women’s shelters and social services in the telephone book.
In addition to being reprehensible and illegal, abuse can keep your depression from healing. If you are unsure whether your relationship is a healthy one, or think that it may be keeping you depressed, it is all right to take some time off. Taking a temporary break from your partner should never endanger the stability of a healthy relationship. Take your time before rushing back into a relationship that may be stressful, injurious, or otherwise detrimental to your health.
Depression can bring out the worst in others, and you have to protect yourself.
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