This book offers straightforward answers to the most frequently asked questions about women in controlling or abusive relationships. Robert Ackerman and Susan Pickering reveal the warning signs of controlling relationships and how women get caught in them; the most common reasons for staying in a controlling relationship and how women can protect themselves; how women can leave when they still love their partners or believe they're needed; where safe places for women are and how to get help; how the children are affected and what help is available to them and how alcohol and drug abuse affect controlling behavior and abuse. Also included are self-assessment tests--such as how to determine if you are in a controlling relationship--to help women identify not only high-risk men, but also some of their own high-risk behaviors. This book is the first to handle head-on the role of alcohol and other controlled substances--whether used by the abuser or the victim--in a controlling or abusive relationship. The appendix is an excellent resource for women who need help, giving addresses and phone numbers of supportive organizations in every state. More importantly, this book shows that women still have time to get the help they deserve-before it's too late.