one-third more than average on health care costs. About 34 percent of women in the sample said they had been abused. While Paranjape's study found that women with the highest levels of abuse reported having poor health, the same number of diseases were reported among those women as the women in the sample who had less or no abuse. This indicates that there is something else that makes abused women report feeling unwell, she said. When your patient says they do n't feel so good, you might want to think about asking what other issues may be going on, she said. People who have gotten out of a relationship should go through the work of learning what issues set them up in that situation, and reflect on the warning signs, Crawford said. Experts recommend finding a counselor and other means of support, but people who have been abused should think twice about revealing too much in online support groups, because their abusers could discover what they 're saying, Dimer said. Research has also shown that violence escalates in abusive relationships among couples who go to marriage counseling, she said. Some women do feel stronger having been through the experience of abuse, Dimer said. She herself found healing through advocacy and research on the subject, she said. Calling a domestic violence hot line is a good first step for anyone who is experiencing abuse, Dimer said. Whether you