Relationships rarely start out abusive. The first time your partner lays hands on you in anger may feel like it came out of nowhere. Because it seemed so out of character, you might have been quick to brush it off and give your partner another chance. However, as a violent pattern emerges, you should wonder what you can do about your seemingly inescapable situation.

Before you give up and resolve yourself to a life of fear and violence, learn some of the steps that you can take to improve your situation and seek help.

Get Medical Assistance

When you are a victim of domestic violence, your first instinct is usually to hide your injuries from the outside world. Whether from embarrassment or fear, the end result is the same—you keep people from knowing what has happened to you.

Unfortunately, this can mean that you miss out on much-needed medical care for serious injuries. While it goes against your first instincts, you need to seek out medical care for any injuries you sustain as the result of domestic violence. This can be from a trusted family doctor, an urgent care clinic, or even the emergency room of the hospital. 

Do not let your injuries go untreated. You could be putting your health and safety in serious jeopardy in the process. Getting medical care is the first of many important steps you need to take to improve your situation.

Tell Someone the Truth

Once you ensure that you will physically recover from your injuries, you need to take steps to prevent future injuries. This means telling someone else what is happening in your relationship. The easiest way to do this is to talk to a trusted friend or family member.

If you do not have a person in your life that you can confide in, tell the doctor who is treating your injuries. Resources such as Urgent Care of Stafford can help you contact law enforcement and women's shelters or domestic violence treatment centers that can provide you with legal, emotional, and other assistance. They may even be able to find you a place to stay to remain safe while you are in the process of leaving your abusive situation.

Don't Look Back

While leaving an abusive situation makes logical sense, that doesn't mean it will be easy for you. However, once you take the steps to escape domestic violence, you cannot look or go back as much as you may want to. Your partner will not change. In fact, if you return after reporting domestic violence, your situation will likely get worse rather than better. So, be sure to stick to your decision and keep moving forward in spite of your feelings for your partner.

Domestic violence is never something anyone should have to deal with. However, if you get into such a situation, be sure to take care of yourself and take the necessary steps to help get your life back on track.