I also experienced my own emotional abuse within my romantic relationship. I also had that pit within my stomach, but I carried it along for three years because I was too afraid to fail in the relationship. Also being that it was my first relationship, I was gullible and didn’t really know. Or sometimes I think I did know, but I let it pass anyway because I wanted so badly to make it work. But it’s been two years since I’ve finally left him, and it has made all the difference.