fiction - How to be mindful of the reader when handling disturbing/distressing subjects?

I’m attempting to write some ‘difficult to read’ scenes such as violence, rape, trauma, etc. And I’m not talking about ‘good’ violence such as in Game of Thrones or a Quentin Tarantino film. The novel is about an abusive relationship, so I want the reader to be able to empathise with the victim and feel emotionally distressed on their behalf. But when it comes to the truly disturbing scenes, I don’t want to cause so much distress that they feel like putting the book down and never picking it up again. Is there a balance to be had? Is there anything I should keep in mind when attempting scenes like this?