A gal from England related her experience. She's on the internet looking for love. She meets guys she calls time wasters. One day she meets a prospect. The date goes well. After 2 weeks he's texting 30x a day plus 10 phone calls. When this happens think red flag right away. He says all the right things and acts that way as well. So the hook was set. After awhile they're living together. The jealously on his part started to become a problem. His ardourous calling sloughed off. He would belittle her in front of strangers and people they know. Later on he would apologize for his actions and then do romantic things with her. Her self worth became less and less as the relationship endured. Then the creep started to gas light her. Making her think she was seeing things that weren't there. Or removing things from the apartment and saying she was mistaken in owning them. Pure BS. One day he called her worthless. And no liked her even her own family didn't like her. She called her mother. The mother said dump him. Something clicked inside her. She went home and asked him to leave. He agreed and felt a long time it was no good. Months of therapy awaited her. She is back in the dating pool after 3 years.
We get warnings along the way from our own gut as well as well meaning friends. Listen and pay attention always. Doing a journal helps with making the right decision. Also doing contemplations about how your life is going. When she thought of dumping him her fears of being alone would creep up. She succumbed to those fears. It froze her in place and delayed the inevitable. A less stress life requires perservanse on your part. Contemplation is an action. As a result you strengthen your self for future entanglements.