Breaking Free

A person who has long been isolated socially by a spouse may fall into a severe depression without knowing it, but there are times when the truth dawns upon them. They may have heard other people discussing their relationship, or their own spouse could go too far in their need to control. It matters little what triggers it, but breaking free of the spouse is generally the outcome. It can be a time when freedom and liberty are regained, and it generally means the end of the relationship.

People with an urge to control others often realize they must be subtle. Their goal is complete dominance of their partner, and they work at it over years and sometimes decades. Success depends upon their partner never realizing how they are being controlled, so each word may be important whenever they discuss any topic. It can take as little as one sentence for their partner to realize what is happening.

When the person being controlled finally realizes how lonely and depressing their life has become, they may be unable to do anything about it. The realization that their partner is behind the isolation can spark rebellion in an instant. This is when the person being controlled may finally find their way past the emotional component of the relationship. They can then gather their strength once again to break away from the person hurting them.

It can take years before a person being controlled realizes what their partner is doing, and it often pushes them from love and dependence into disgust and the need to move on. Losing the viable partner they had will often make the person who exerted control try harder to ensure they will not recover, yet it is possible to get past everything with professional help and the support of close family and friends.