Crawford lists some red flags as jealousy of your friends and family, isolating you from them, controlling your finances, as well as making demeaning comments, shaming you, or pressuring you into sex. Food control is not necessarily a warning sign of abuse, but it could be a symptom. But Dr. Caudle stresses you don't need some objective higher power to tell you whether or not this is a problem. "If you think it’s problem or if it’s a problem for you, if you’re uncomfortable, that’s when I say, 'Hey, then this really is something that needs to be looked into,'" she says. "The people in the relationships can often know in their gut if something isn’t right," says Crawford. "When someone feels uncomfortable with what their partner is doing or requesting, again, that is a sign that things crossed a line and that the relationship dynamic is moving into unhealthy or even abusive." There are a few possible roads, and which one you take depends on your safety within the relationship. If you're comfortable approaching your partner and don't feel this is part of a larger abuse problem, then Dr. Caudle recommends you tell them: "When you say this or ask me this or do this, it makes me feel like this." That begins the conversation and paves the way for an understanding. If the conversation doesn't help the situation, that could be cause for concern. "One of the signs of a healthy relationship is that you are able to communicate with your partner," Crawford says. "So if you are trying to have conversations about how you feel and your partner is not necessarily respecting your conversations, or maybe they’re dismissing your feelings, that is also a sign that you could be in an unhealthy relationship." If you do fear your relationship leans more towards the category of abuse, then the problem should be handled a little differently. "If you are safe, I think it’s really important to reach out to a couple different people or options," Dr. Caudle says. "If it seems appropriate to bring up with a friend that you trust, fine, do that. If you’d be more comfortable speaking with your doctor, do that. I often have patients coming in and saying, 'My husband is behaving this way, I’m not sure what to do about it.' So that’s a very real conversation to have." But let's say the situation has escalated one step further and, in addition to food control, you're dealing with violence and threats: Crawford and Dr. Caudle recommend getting in contact with The National Domestic Violence Hotline as soon as possible. If you're worried that your partner will look through your phone or computer and find these things, then you can always make an appointment with your doctor. Dr. Caudle says she will call state and local domestic violence shelters for patients that are in her office. Or, Crawford says, a family or friend can make the call for you. "The second biggest call group that we get are concerned coworkers, friends, and family members," she says. "There’s no cut and dry," Dr. Caudle says. "But the bottom line is people need to be safe." If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.