Every so often, I stumble across a post somewhere else that says it better than I can.  When I do, I will link it here.

Sick Systems: How to Keep Someone With You Forever If you’ve ever wondered why a person would stay in an emotionally abusive relationship, this is an excellent description of how it looks from the inside.  This was what living with Isabel was like on a daily basis. If your relationship looks like this, it’s probably abusive.