Are You In An Abusive Marriage Or Is Your Spouse Just A Little Rude Sometimes?

We see the signs even before we get married. The person we believe we're in love with is a little rude. A little controlling. A little possessive. A little jealous. A little short tempered. A little loud when angry. We overlook these negative behaviors, and then after the wedding, we realize they have become worse, maybe intolerable. We keep trying to appease our spouse and not trigger an outburst. Eventually we realize we're always walking on eggshells, afraid to say anything that might lead to an argument. A relationship can be abusive even if there is no hitting. How do you recognize when your loved one has crossed the line from being a little annoying, a bit challenging, rather rude, to downright abusive? How do you stop the escalation of bad behavior and still maintain your marriage? We discuss three situations in which spouses found themselves cowering in a corner to avoid a confrontation. How do you get a badly behaving spouse to agree to counseling when all else fails? Our relationship experts Mark Shahid and Muneera Habeel, along with our guest Latifa Hameen, examines issues regarding emotional abuse, self esteem, and when you know you need help.