People who have been in abusive or controlling relationships, what were the first signs something was wrong?

I’d been dating a guy (let’s call him Jason) for a week or so, and I went out of town with a friend to her parent’s farm. There wasn’t a very good signal out there, and my phone died.

The next morning I charged my phone and Jason called me crying. He said he was so worried that I’d been with someone else. He didn’t want to lose me, I was the best thing in his life, yadda yadda. I, was flattered, of course. I thought, “He really likes me a lot”. He even threw in some, “I think I could be in love with you” statements. I was concerned for him, but figured he was just hungover and emotional.

Nope. Jason was a dirt bag. We dated off and on for two years. Lived together for a year. He wouldn’t let me hang with my friends and constantly told me how worthless I was compared to him. So I bounced one day while he was at work. He was pissed, but there was nothing he could do or say to get me back.

Jason harassed me for a year after we broke up, through calls and texts. Then he just disappeared. So, I’m assuming he found other women to torture, and I secretly hope he never finds love. His love wasn’t love at all.

/r/AskReddit Thread