It is easy to fall into an abusive spiral. Frighteningly easy.

In fact, about half of all U.S. men and women experience psychological aggression in their lifespan, and 24 people every minute fall victim to rape and physical violence.

Some people view abuse as something straightforward and obvious, such as punching/hitting your significant other. This is a common misconception. Abuse does not always appear in the form of bruises and physical battery.

Emotional and psychological abuse can be hard to recognize, especially when it is happening to you. An abuser "picks up on the victim's sensitivities and will specifically target them with subtle manipulations and attempt to confuse them, talking in circles and instilling doubt," in the words of State Press.

So, how can you recognize this and get out before you're in too deep?

Analyze the things your significant other says to you. Do they insult you often and laugh it off, but leave you feeling inferior? Do they make backhanded comments? Do they consistently do things to hurt you and then try to play them off or flip the situation?

These are major red flags. Someone who loves you will not hurt you. If they are knowingly hurting you and causing you emotional/physical pain, get away, and get away fast.

The longer you stay in an abusive situation, the more difficult it becomes for you to leave. The more time an abuser has to make you feel comfortable around them, the more time they have to convince you that you are the one doing something wrong.

When you love someone who is hurting you, it can be incredibly hard to admit to yourself that they are bad for you. You may start to believe the insults they throw at you, and you might start to believe them when they blame the problems with your relationship on you.

Abusers do this to deflect the blame so they can continue to feel superior. They want power over you, and they want to manipulate you to get what they want. The easier it is for them to make you believe you are in the wrong, the easier it is for them to keep you right where you are.

You are not in the wrong, and it is not your fault that you are being treated this way. You can't predict an abusive relationship, and abusive relationships don't always start out that way. You are not to blame for what is happening.

One of the hardest situations for a person to be in is telling their abuser that they are hurting them, only for the abuser to threaten some form self-harm, using the "I hate myself for what I've done to you" line. This is a heartbreaking spot to find yourself in, because you might really love this person and really want to help them, and it is so easy to allow this to trap you into staying in a relationship that is hurting you. Someone who makes this threat needs help, and you are not going to be able to give them what they need regardless of what they try to convince you. If you believe they are a danger to themselves, call for professional help. They will either end up getting the help they need, or it will be revealed that they never planned to hurt themselves and they just wanted to talk you into staying.

Someone who loves you will not hurt you. They will not control you, or insult you, or try to dictate who you spend time with or where you go. They won't continue to do things that upset you once you've told them you're upset. They won't make you feel inferior.

Someone who loves you will be there for you no matter what. They will allow you your independence, but will also be there for you to come home to. They will let you go out with your friends, and will probably be friends with your friends. They will apologize for hurting you, and mean it. They will make sure you know you are on the same side. Someone who loves you will be your teammate.

Not your opponent.