It starts innocently enough. At first you may be flattered and think that the first signs of control in your relationship are cute. Think again. Many women have had their lives turned upside down by a controlling man. Some women have had to escape their situations with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Never ignore signs of control in a relationship. To do so can be one of the most dangerous mistakes a woman can make.
Control freaks actually fear losing you. They actually suffer from low self-esteem that they have learned to mask by controlling behavior. Some people are just bossy. That needs to be distinguished as a different behavior then controlling behavior.
Let's say you have short hair. The control freak will say something to you like "I like your hair better when it's long." The next time he will say, "Don't ever cut your hair short again or I will leave you." In order to control you this man will try and tear your self-esteem down. Look at it this way; lets say you are a building that wants to be the tallest building in town. You have two choices. You can build yourself up or tear the other buildings down. The controlling man tears everyone around him down to build himself up.
Controlling men, if allowed, will control every aspect of your life. At first a woman will fight it. After a while a woman learns that it's easier for her to just keep quiet. She stuffs her feelings and does what he wants. She may resent it. Just when she decides to say something to the man he does something nice and so she keeps her mouth shut again and again.
If you finally sit down and confront the controlling man he acts as if he doesn't know what you are talking about. In fact, most controlling men never will admit to being control freaks. They believe the world revolves around them and that you should just simply give in to them and their desires.
Most controlling men don't show this side of themselves until you are either living with them or married to them. By then you are "hooked" and they believe that they have you exactly where they want you. You can't change them and so, unbelievably, a lot of women simply give them their way.
One woman found out exactly how controlling her husband was when she stayed at the gym for an extra thirty minutes. When she got home her new husband was agitated and demanded to know exactly where she had been. She explained to him that she was talking to friends and time simply got away from her. He let her know, in no uncertain terms, that when she told him she would be home at a certain time he expected her home at that time. The next time she found herself running a bit late she began to get anxious. This is a prime example of how the tearing down of a woman by a control freak begins to dominate her life.
One third of American women have reported that at some time in their lives they were involved in controlling relationships. A good relationship is built on trust. Controlling men are, therefore, very difficult to form a trusting relationship with. Unless they can control every aspect of a woman's life they aren't easy to live with.
So if you are involved with a controlling man what should you do? Realize that this relationship may never change. Most controlling men are so insecure that, without serious counseling, they will never change. Life is short. Relationships should be built on mutual trust. With the controlling man a woman loses herself in pleasing him. Nothing is worth the loss of your own self-esteem. Consider it a life lesson and move on. Close the door and never look back, for your own good. This isn't love, it's dysfunction, and you don't need it.
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Comments (30)
Very scary...
Hmmmm...and might these guys call themselves 'nice guys' too? Or even 'nice girls?' When people 'behave' out of character it was/is due to what? Provoked, stress, means to an end, conditionong, domination, jealousy, out of love?? Yes, get the hell out wheteher it be a male or female in this controlling relationship and do not get a puppy or decide to have a baby thinking that will resolve/calm/alter/change the controlling behaviour for it WILL not. It will only escalate. As painful as it may well be to leave, do so and pay heed to what just happened so it may never happen again. You'll be a stronger person for it.
Yes life is short and be strong
From a guys point of view
Something a controlling man is good at doing (especially if their very intelligent) is making you feel ugly...like the article said it begins "innocently". For example, you come from the ladies after freshening up with a little more lip stick and blush, only to return to the controlling person who greets you with a lukewarm comment: "Had a good make-up session?" (add sarcastic glare and flat loveless tone)
Seen some females who get ill treated yet seem to rellish in it ,God knows why ? ? ? Seen others move on , and rightly so ! ! !
There male partner being an a** Hole..
But there are females also that are a** Holes ,,
Ive lived with 2 in the last 10 years and eventualy although it was heart renching for me , i got rid ,, hurt like hell but some of us , both male and female have got to see the light of day and move on ... Someone on here said iff they abuse themselves then they will abuse others ,, i think i have to agree ...
Thanks for the read ..
I have to say,that pressing and control is the only way to keep the partner in his or her hands,when a partner isnt perfect himself.He/she is afraid of losing a good and creative partner,
who has social life,friends,interests.
Lasy,stupid,helpless losers all are agressive controlers.
My ex-husband controled me even in toilet,when i had a smoke,
and opened the door of my classroom,when i was giving a lesson.
Never let them to manipulate your life. First,make them to
respect you,if not ,let them go out.
These situations happen,when people are of different levels.
Be happy!
Nobody has the right to hurt his partner.
Doesn't matter what gender you are as this is a behavioural issue of an insecure trait that comes from being human and not male or female.
Top article though and has ppl wanting to express themselves in many ways good, bad or indifferent...
keep up the great dialogue ppl and express, express, express
kind regards
mariespoodles
As for controlling behaviors, there are many and it is indeed a difficult situation to find oneself in. It is why I think a slow steady pace in building a relationship is a good idea. This sort of thing comes out in the open.
She was born with Spina Bifida and if I was out for too long at a friends place, she would call & call my mobile - granted it was her car I was driving around in, even when I was driving my own car, it was exactly the same crap!
So, yes there are female ones too for sure!!
Mike, Down Under
It took time to go from being docile to fighting back. I still have the battle scars from the first one. That marriaged ended in "87." The second time around I was followed again, checked on and accused of dressing "trashy" for college. Who called you this time on your cell phone? I finally told him I was dressing with a low top and jacket to impress my Social Psychology professor because I had an exam that day and wanted to get a good grade. LMAO. I did not think his mouth could drop open that far.
When I filed for divorce he never knew it until he was served with the papers. Even then he tried to use the house that me and my mother paid on as a reason to stop the divorce if I tried to keep it. Keep it hell! I wanted out of there and away from the memories. A year later he lost it anyway and I am still living where I have been since our divorce.
I do not want to remarry because of the fear of confinement.
I really love my daughter but whilst he continued with his life as if nothing has ever happened, mine has changed completely. This is because I continued to hope that he will change, But believe me, as time passes things get worse. Good luck to anyone who is in such a relationship ;) Never give up and professional help is there to help you!!
hell yeah there are.
the ones that expect 100% of your time.Super hot model types.
insecure high maintenance women.
Clues to watch for.
They dress to the nines..and have alot of shoes.Credit cards maxed out.Can't seem to stay away from the mirror.
I should print this and send it to someone
i could probably add alot of text to this.
He controlled everything, from the way I dressed to what I would do during the day. At first I did protest, keeping my Independence but after a while so I didn't get to hear him argue I would just go along.
I was in that relationship for 5 months and those were the worst 5 months of my life. When we broke up I was depressed, overweight, horrible self esteem issues...you name it, I had it! Now almost a year has gone by I am so much happy. I can't even believe that I actually allowed to be in that relationship.
We just have to be very careful. Read the signs because their are sings! Whoever said that if there wasn't pain it wasn't love was WRONG!!! Love should not be build around pain, who get's more, who dominates who...We just have to accept it and move on. It's better to be alone and get out of a bad relationship than stay and suffer a great deal of pain and problems. TRUST ME :)Is not the end of the world, we shouldn't settle for any less than what we deserve.
One day, I suddenly realized that the things these men had complained about so much had all been TRIVIAL & had nothing at all to do with having any kind of relationship, let alone a healthy one. Now, at the very first sign of game-playing, domination or manipulation, I hit the highway -- FAST!
Other signs of a control freak are:#1 SELF-ABUSE with drugs, smoking, alcohol,etc. If they abuse themselves, their own possessions or yours, they will just as readily abuse you either physically, mentally & emotionally.
#2 ANGER is another sign of a controller. He knows that if he angers at you, you will feel you have displeased him & be afraid of losing him. Please, Ladies, do NOT be afraid to lose these guys! The more you allow yourselves to be with a man like that, the more worthless you will feel about yourself! Trust me, I've learned it IS better to be alone than to be treated & talked to worse than a dog.
Take those dateless weekends & use them to do something to improve yourself, such as reading a self-esteem or self-assertion book; trying out a new hair-do; etc., anything to make you feel better about yourself, then you won't feel the need to 'settle' for these freaks. Their ego is NOT your problem. The only person that can build their self-esteem is them. And, the only person that can build your self esteem is YOU! It takes real guts to see yourself as you really are & then try to 'fix' it instead of blaming ones own low self-esteem on another person & making them constantly 'pay' to make their own self feel better. Which never works anyway.
Discover all the good within yourselves & stop focusing on what you think is 'wrong' with you, then, you will begin to love yourself for exactly who you are -- the good AND the 'bad.'
Everyone is worthy of love but one can not love another any more than they love themselves.