Search Results: being a good friend friendship

I do not feel good about asking this. It makes me feel slimy and gross.

I am especially unhappy with having to ask so bluntly and crassly; in order to fit the one-sentence format for a GAG "question title".

I would like to explain why I am posting this. ( Feel free to just answer. Nothing below is critical for you to know).

I've always had many female friends. Most of my closest friendships since I was 13 years old have been friendships with women. I'm generally someone who people feel comfortable confiding in. I have known SO many wonderful women who have been in abusive relationships. I am as intimately familiar with the scars that can leave on a woman's psyche as anyone can be, short of first-hand experience or formal training.

On GAG I've spoken to dozens of women who were:
-In abusive relationships;
-had escaped from an abusive relationship;
-were currently in the early stages of a relationship with a guy who was showing signs he was likely to be abusive;
- or were in relationships which were clearly abusive, but were in denial; or genuinely didn't realize their relationship was "abusive."

The nature of abuse varies widely; as does the "sort" of woman. It varies from a boyfriend who is emotionally manipulative and has boundary issues... all the way up to sadists monsters who would quite literally torture their girlfriends. I have nightmares about some of these women's stories (three of them in particular).

I am under no illusions about abusive relationships being uncommon. That upsets me more than I can put into words. I also know that there have been attempts to find out "just how common". I also understand that a GAG poll is far from scientific.

**I would really appreciate if you would click an answer to the "poll" even if you have no inclination to write anything. Women who haven't been in abusive relationships, please just click that option before moving on to the next question.**

Thanks

🙂