Soap Box #3: The Over-Zealous Lover

Humour me: imagine if you had a partner who made you wear certain things you didn't want to wear, and you're shamed for not abiding by being told how selfish you are being. What if they separated you from your family and friends? Constantly instilled fear in you and told you that you will die if you don't do as you are told? Imagine they told you were not allowed to go out and they forced you to have medical treatment against your will. What if they tracked your every move and bugged your phone so they knew where you were every moment of the day?

Imagine if they insisted that you believe every word they say, just because they said so. Should you dare question what has been said at any time, you'd be gaslighted, told you're mad, petulant, stupid and/or uncooperative. It's always their way or the highway: no debate, no discussion, nothing to the contrary permitted. No independent thought allowed.

Say they demanded you hand over a large chunk of your income, then proceed to give it to a neighbour, whom they're secretly shagging. This neighbour has so much dirt on them, that should you ever find out about this sordid affair, you'd sever ties with your partner in a heartbeat. But instead, you're distracted with crippling debt, poor body image, the latest celebrity gossip and various other bubblegum crap which adds no value to your life whatsoever.

What would you do in this situation?

Shout out to DJW for inspiring and contributing greatly to this post :) <3