This is a check off list created by Dr. Laura Schlessinger, explaining red flags to look out for in a relationship. These signs may signal the need for some serious help, or may be an obvious indicator to break off a relationship altogether:

◊ He/She behaves badly and then blames it on other people or events.
◊ He/She emphasizes or exaggerates how bad his/her home life is (while doing nothing to improve it).
◊ He/She hits things to deal with his/her anger.
◊ He/She has a jealousy problem, but says it’s because he/she loves you.
◊ He/She insults you, and then tells you he/she is “just kidding.”
◊ He/She makes you feel like you have to apologize for things that are not your fault.
◊ He/She makes you feel like he/she can’t live without you.
◊ He/She tries to control the amount of time you spend with your friends or family.
◊ He/She makes you feel guilty for being with other people.
◊ He/She tries to control the way you dress.
◊ He/She always needs to know where you’re at or what you’re doing.
◊ His/Her mood swings from extremes of sweetness to selfishness.
◊ He/She always expects you to answer your phone or return his/her messages immediately.
◊ He/She sets one standards for how he/she expects you to live, and does not live by the same standards themselves.
◊ He/She makes you feel like it’s your job to keep him/her from getting angry.
◊ He/She accuses you of flirting with others or being unfaithful (while he/she is the one who’s probably guilty).
◊ He/She pressures you to do sexual things.
◊ He/She acts like a victim instead of taking responsibility for his/her life.
◊ He/She makes you feel like you’re lucky to have him/her, instead of making you feel like he/she’s lucky to have you.
◊ He/She makes you feel like his/her problems in life will be solved if you love him/her enough.
◊ You feel like you need to hide the truth about this relationship from those who love you.
◊ You fear that if your family knew the truth about him/her, you would not be allowed to see him/her.
◊ You don’t have peace about the relationship, and you often feel sad about it.
◊ Your self-esteem has suffered because of the relationship.
◊ You always feel like you’re living according to his/her moods and wishes.
Source: Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Love Matters

The more items you checked off this list, the faster you should get away from this person. Any one of these can be damaging to your health and wellbeing. It is important not to drag things on, hoping that they will improve. A lot of times, we can fall into vicious cycles of repetitious abusive behavior, and sexual activity makes it even tougher to get out. So watch for the warning signs of someone who may be trying to pull you back in! 

◊ He/She might try to detach you from all your loved ones so that you’ll have nobody but him/her. You’ll think you have nowhere else to go but back to him/her.
◊ When you want to leave, he/she may become sweet as can be, which is what you’ve been waiting for. That way, you won’t want to leave him/her while he’s being so nice. You want to believe that he/she has changed. But don’t be fooled. It won’t last any longer than the last sweet mood swing.
◊ He/She may be verbally abusive, making you feel unlovable. His/her goal is to make you feel as if no one else would want you.
◊ He/She may use guilt to keep you on leash, making you feel like they would die without you.
◊  He/She may try to rush engagement. His/Her talk of “forever” gets you to dream about the future and forget about the present problems.
◊ When all else fails, he/she may threaten you or your loved ones, hoping you will stay out of fear. In other words, their like an abusive dog-owner who threatens his puppy with a rolled-up newspaper: “Stay!”