Abstract

Warning: The following may be upsetting – especially for those who may have been, or are currently in, a toxic relationship

“You are a fat pig! You look like a cow! The house is a pigsty! You are so lazy!”

Jennifer sat head in hands, fearful and anxious, as she willed herself to be invisible. After a year of living with her boyfriend Lee, she had slowly grown accustomed to his rants. But this time was different. She shook uncontrollably as he shouted a litany of her perceived failings. Somehow, the strong, confident, independent girl that had attracted Lee in the beginning of their relationship had been replaced by a scared, cowering, shadow of the person she used to be. She worried that the agitated state she endured each time Lee rampaged – the anxiety and panic attacks she experienced on a now daily basis followed by bouts of depression - would cause permanent damage to her psyche – or cause her to suffer a heart attack or stroke.