Caring Relationships, Healthy You

 

How are things feeling? Do my partner(s):

1. Support me and respect my choices?
2. Support me in spending time with friends or family?

Do I:

1. Feel comfortable talking about my feelings, sex, and other impotant things with my partner(s)?
2. Support my partner(s), their independence, and their identities?

Ask yourself: Do I have concerns about the way I am being treated? about how I am treating my partner(s)? Unhealthy relationships can impact our health.

Do you or your partner: 

1. Use guilt or jealously to influence what the other person does or who they see?
2. Put the other person down or make them feel bad about themselves?
3. Threaten to out the other’s gender identity, sexual orientation, HIV status or immigration status?
4. Refuse to recognize the other person’s name, pronoun, or identity?
5. Control the other’s money or spending freedom?
6. Restrict the other’s access to medication or healthcare?
7. Pressure the other person to do something sexual? 

Actions like these can be harmful for your emotional and physical health. Help is available.  

Is your relationship affecting your health? 

1. Do you often feel depressed, anxious or stressed? Is your relationship making it worse?
2. Are you drinking, smoking, or using drugs more  in order to cope?
3. Do you have health issues that can be worsened by chronic stress?

You are not alone! Abuse occurs in all kinds of relationships. 

You deserve to be in a relationship that is supportive and feels good. In addition to resources below, many people find support within their community: friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors.

A plan the works for you:

It can be helpful to talk with a trusted friend, advocate, or health provider about:

1. Ideas for increasing your safety and support,
2. Taking care of your health and wellbeing,
3. How to support a friend who may be experiencing abuse.

Are you worried about a friend being controlled or hurt? Try these steps: 

1. Tell them what worries you and that you care, without judgment or shame. 
2. Let them know you are there for them. Listen and believe. 
3. Give them the info described here and tell them about the resources below. 

Confidential and free chat, text, call line provides support 24/7: 

thehotline.org 

text “START” to 88788 

800-799-SAFE (7233) 

TTY: 800-787-3224 

Free, anonymous safety aid: myplanapp.org 

Low cost healthcare and sexual health information: bedsider.org 

Trans-specific safety planning tool: https://forge-forward.org/resource/safety-planning-tool/

National LGBT Institute on IPV: https://lgbtqipvinstitute.org/resources-for-survivors/