One of the plus sides of getting a divorce is knowing you’ll be free to be yourself again. This may wash over you with a wave of relief, especially when leaving an abusive relationship. You may not realize, however, that abusive relationships tend to have lasting psychological effects.

You may be thinking, “How might I be affected by an abusive relationship?” Here’s what you should consider:

Spousal abuse takes on many forms

Not everyone shares the same type of abuse in a marriage. You may have heard of someone physically beaten by their spouse, causing welts and broken fingers, while you were only yelled at by your spouse. Spousal abuse can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can make it harder to move on after a divorce. Survivors may even find it difficult to enter a new relationship.

Spousal abuse can be financially draining

During your time in a relationship, you may have lost control of your finances. Your spouse may have spent your hard-earned cash behind your back or monitored your purchases.

Financial abuse can cause you to fear how you spend your cash or how much cash you have after marriage. You might even use what little money you have to escape the stress of dealing with post-divorce stress. PTSD, or the events in your marriage, may dry up your savings.

Many people may seek therapy after a divorce to help them with their PTSD. The trauma of spousal abuse might not immediately stop after a divorce, but it may be the first step to your freedom.