Video: Toke Makinwa shares signs you’re in an abusive relationship and why you should speak out

Media personality and author of On Becoming, Toke Makinwa, is talking about signs you’re with an abusive person in a bid to encourage victims to speak out.

Toke Makinwa shares the signs in the latest episode of her YouTube vlog, Toke Moments, noting that both men and women can be victims of abuse.

In her caption of the video, Toke says not many people open up about being victims of abuse sometimes out of “fear of being shamed” and sometimes out of “disappointment in themselves for being in that situation.” But Toke thinks having conversations about being in toxic relationships will give more “people the courage to break free.”

One of the signs to watch out for include over-protective partners who wanted you only for themselves. She says such partners have a problem with you being friends with members of the opposite sex. Also, if they get angry when you receive calls from other people and demand to know about your every conversation and movement, then it’s a thing of concern as it could indicate an abusive behaviour. Toke warns against mistaking those as signs of affection and love, and according to her, it’s a big red flag and you should give the relationship a rethink.

Another sign of abuse highlighted by the media personality, who recently starred in her first movie role, are partners who have unpredictable mood swings, which she says can also cause them to make disparaging remarks about you and to start uncalled for arguments and quarrels.

Toke also mentions partners who are eager to isolate you from your friends and family as likely abusers. She says one of the reasons they try to isolate you is out of fear that you would talk to people or that other people would warn you of their abusive behaviour. In other words, they don’t want you to break free of their abuse. Toke also warns not to mistake their abuse as affection and love.

But those are not all the signs she highlighted. You can check out the full episode below and share with us your thoughts.