Domestic Abuse: Check Your Symptoms

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Check Your Symptoms

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.

Review risk factors that may increase your chance of becoming a victim of domestic abuse.

Yes

Has someone hurt you?

Yes

Are you concerned about your safety, either physically or emotionally?

Other Symptoms to Watch For

It is important to watch for signs of intimate partner abuse. If your partner has any of the following behaviors, you need to seek help:

• Calls you names or tells you that you are crazy
• Criticizes things you do and say, or criticizes how you look
• Blames you for the abuse he or she commits
• Limits where you can go, what you can do, and who you can talk to
• Unexpectedly checks up on you at your workplace, home, school, or elsewhere
• Apologizes for abusive behavior and tells you it will never happen again, even though it already has

These national hotlines can help you find resources in your area. Call:

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline toll-free 1-800-799-7233.
• The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline toll-free 1-866-331-9474.

If you are concerned about:

• Physical abuse: Go to the topic Physical Abuse.
• Sexual abuse: Go to the topic Sexual Abuse or Assault (Rape).

If a visit to a health professional is not needed immediately, see the Home Treatment section for self-care information.

Last updated:	May 06, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Brigid McCaw, MD, MS, MPH, FACP - Family Violence Prevention
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer