Psychological abuse, also known as emotional abuse, is the act of subjecting or exposing another person to conduct that may cause psychological trauma, such as anxiety, protracted depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Utilizing verbal and nonverbal cues to try to control or emotionally harm a victim is known as mental or emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse.
Even though psychological abuse does not cause bumps on the body or broken bones, it can still result in severe emotional problems and mental health issues. Even though this kind of abuse can be more challenging to identify, it is crucial to do so so that you can seek help right away because it frequently comes before physical abuse. Anyone can suffer psychological abuse in any kind of relationship, including friendships, jobs, romantic partnerships, and family relationships. Abuse of children and intimate partners, two of the most frequent types, is considered a serious public health issue.
Psychological Abuse
Psychological abuse is the routine and intentional use of a variety of words and non-physical actions to manipulate, hurt, weaken, or frighten a person mentally and emotionally; and/or distort, confuse, or inform a person’s thoughts and actions in their daily lives, changing their sense of self and harming their wellbeing. We will not be able to tell when someone is being abused psychologically because the symptoms do not manifest, like bruises.
However, the most frequent reason why most cases go unreported is that most victims are afraid to speak up or have the misguided belief that they must endure the torture out of loyalty to their families or for other unspecified reasons. Even though some people might disagree and claim that psychological abuse is not as harmful as physical abuse, most experts agree that it is just as harmful.
Symptoms of Psychological Abuse
It is not always easy to recognize psychological abuse in relationships. Here are a few symptoms to be aware of:
- Receiving insults such as “stupid,” “moron,” etc.
- Regular shouting
- Constant criticism of your personality, family, and even yourself
- Living a life of suffering
- Feeling constantly threatened while not knowing when your abuser would strike.
- Threatening to abandon you, refusing to provide you with food, or taking your children away
- Receiving sarcastic mockery from someone who imitates you
- Never-ending profanity and badmouthing
- Disregarding your needs as an individual and you
- Keeping you apart from your family and friends
- Bringing up all of your past errors and demonstrating your lack of proficiency
- Using your flaws as a weapon to torture you repeatedly.
There are additionally subtler indicators, such as:
- Beginning to change plans at the last moment
- Making justifications for your partner’s offensive words or actions
- Keeping quieter when the partner is present
- Excessively apologizing
- Displaying a more uncertain and uneasy demeanor
- Constant feeling of urgency
- Checking the phone or checking in with their partner frequently
Effects of Psychological Abuse
Due to the lack of tangible signs, the effects of psychological abuse might not be as obvious. But once we know what to look for, we can quickly identify the aftereffects of abuse’s psychological trauma.
- Loses interest in continuing to grow as a person
- Loss of interest in fun things
- Anxiety around other people
- Depression
- Refusal to engage in a conversation about something
- Making no eye contact
- Oversleeping or sleep deprivation
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- The general sense of helplessness
- Low regard for oneself
Types of psychological abuse
It has been emphasized time and time again that psychological abuse symptoms are not as obvious as physical abuse, so it is crucial to educate yourself on the various forms of psychological abuse.
- Intimidation
- Coercion
- Bullying
- Ridicule
- Humiliation
- Gaslighting
- Harassment
- Infantilization
- Isolation
- Silence
- Manipulation
- Control
- Name-calling and threats
- Bad Mouthing
Coping with psychological abuse
You can cope with psychological abuse. Not all of us are privileged to express what we feel but to do that, we need a strategy, and here are some ways to help you
#1. Identify the Problem
We are not talking about psychological abuse but the reason behind it. Differentiate between healthy and unhealthy behavior. Identifying the problem can help you differentiate between healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
#2. Don’t React to Your Abuser
Make sure if you find yourself in a situation where your abuser is gaslighting you, try to avoid giving a reaction. Your reaction is their fuel. Set boundaries and be firm in your decisions. Stop giving them a sense of satisfaction by reacting to them.
#3. Leave the Abusive Situation
If you are in an abusive situation, it’s important to create a safety plan and leave as soon as you can. Seek help from trusted friends, family members, neighbors, law enforcement, or organizations if you need it
#4. Plan
You know that you can’t really change a person or walk out of the situation immediately. It is best to make a plan, and you need to strategize it wisely. Seek help from trusted friends, family members, neighbors, and legal authorities if needed.
#5. Collect Proofs
Your abuser can retract their statements and refute any cruel remarks or deliberate lies they made about you. Keeping a record of everything would be ideal. You can write it down or record a video so that you have proof that it happened.
#6. Try therapy
Many people who have experienced psychological abuse during their marriage feel ashamed to disclose what has happened because they believe that no one will understand.
The best course of action would be for you to seek professional assistance because it is crucial to deal with this trauma. You will be able to process and get over your psychological trauma. Additionally, by participating in a support group where others who have experienced similar things as you do, you will be able to open up.
Remind yourself that you are not at fault. Repeat to yourself that you did not deserve to be abused. You do not deserve to be abused, and you have not caused the abuse.
#7. Focus On Building Healthy Relationships
Developing self-awareness and learning to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy behaviors in various kinds of relationships are essential for breaking the cycle of abuse. Although it may be difficult, being vulnerable and able to trust others are necessary for having healthy relationships that are characterized by respect, trust, and affection.
Psychological Abuse vs Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is categorized as using many of the same strategies as psychological abuse. However, psychological abuse differs from physical abuse in that it has a greater negative impact on the mental capabilities of the victim. Psychological abuse has an impact on how people think, whereas emotional abuse has an impact on how people feel.
When someone’s thoughts are being controlled, it is called psychological abuse. This type of abuse uses verbal and social pressure. Victim of abuse is frequently persuaded that they are crazy, is subjected to manipulation, or is threatened with harm. Controlling someone’s emotions while also inflicting severe mental trauma is referred to as emotional abuse. Abusers frequently humiliate their victims severely and denigrate them, blaming them for the abuse.
Most of the time, emotional and psychological abuse consists of non-physical actions taken by the abuser to terrorize, isolate, or control the victim. To make you psychologically dependent on the abuser, they frequently use it to undermine your sense of worth and self-esteem.
Impacts of Psychological Abuse
#1. Codependency
Your needs may not seem as important as those of others if you have experienced long-term emotional abuse. This may result in codependent tendencies or a disregard for your own needs and boundaries. Additionally, you might tend to act in ways that please other people or form relationships with violent partners.
#2. Fear of Abandonment
You might experience extreme stress or a sense of abandonment in your relationships if the emotional distance was employed as a sneaky tactic. Clinginess, a behavior that is sometimes associated with this, is one way it might show up. Clinginess is frequently caused by a strong fear of losing your support network.
#3. Trust Challenges
You may find it difficult to trust anyone, even a loving partner if you have experienced emotional abuse in the past. Being vulnerable and having the courage to believe that someone will not intentionally hurt you again after being let down in the past can be difficult.
#4. Being Genuine Is Difficult
If the emotional abuse you endured frequently consisted of criticism or picking apart your every move, you may have internalized some of these remarks, which has caused you to feel ashamed. Due to this, communicating with a partner may seem challenging and intimidating, which can cause emotional distance.
#5. A Low Sense of Self
Your self-esteem may become severely damaged as a result of emotional abuse that involves insults, which can cause you to feel unworthy. It might give you the impression that you are less worthy or valid than those around you.
#6. Self-Doubt
You may begin to doubt your judgment, skills, and understanding of reality if you are subjected to gaslighting, a form of emotional abuse. An individual might notice that after being gaslit repeatedly, you have less faith in your judgment. You might be more self-critical, prone to self-destruction, or struggle to recognize and believe in your own emotions.
#7. Depression
Depression in adults is significantly correlated with emotional abuse in children. According to experts, this can occur when behaviors weaken your capacity for self-compassion and encourage shame.
#8. Eating Disorders
High levels of self-criticism brought on by emotional abuse can raise your risk of developing eating disorders like binge eating, bulimia, and anorexia.
#9. Emotional Development
Children who have experienced emotional abuse may have a harder time controlling their emotional reactions. Due to the possibility that abuse makes it more difficult to develop a trustworthy relationship with one’s own emotions, they might also appear less emotionally mature than their peers.
What Psychological Abuse?
Psychological abuse is the routine and intentional use of a variety of words and non-physical actions to manipulate, hurt, weaken, or frighten a person mentally and emotionally; and/or distort, confuse, or inform a person’s thoughts and actions in their daily lives, changing their sense of self and harming their wellbeing.
What Is Psychological Abuse in a Relationship?
The use of restraint, isolation, verbal abuse, humiliation, or intimidation as a form of mental or emotional abuse in relationships is also known as emotional or psychological abuse. Controlling and manipulating people using emotional abuse techniques is a form of emotional abuse.
What Is Psychological Abuse Example?
Verbal abuse, dominance, control, seclusion, mockery, or the use of personal information for degrading purposes are all examples of emotional abuse. attacks made against a victim’s persona expressing to a victim that they are never doing anything right. Others include;
- Obscenities: shouting and using offensive language or swear words
- Negative language: speaking in an insulting way to the victim
- Exploitation is when a victim is made to feel isolated and ashamed.
- Using the victim’s helplessness or a trait they like to make jokes is excessive teasing.
- Making an individual believe they are capable of harming someone else is considered a harmful threat.
- Avoid all contact with the victim by using the silent treatment method.
- Gaslighting is the practice of informing a victim that an incident they remember did not happen.
- Remarks that are derogatory and spiteful toward the victim or those the victim is close to
What Are Psychological Abuse Types?
- Intimidation.
- Coercion.
- Bullying.
- Ridicule.
- Humiliation.
- Gaslighting.
- Harassment
- Name-calling
- Gradual Isolation
- Guilt-tripping
Conclusion
When you do not comply with the abuser’s demands or if you say something that wounds their ego, the abuser may use profanity and call you names. They attack by threatening to separate from you or even kidnap your kids. Threats of physical violence, humiliation, leaving you, and, if applicable, obtaining the children are all examples of psychological abuse tactics. Because the abuser believes that this is a good way to control you, they are using threats.
The abuser frequently takes advantage of your flaws to keep you captive. You will eventually come to believe all of their words because they will use language to weaken you under their control. The majority of victims avoid seeking assistance because they feel alone and afraid, but this must change.
Your abuser has to stop because it is you who gives them power. Ask for assistance by calling a therapist or a family member you can trust. Do not put up with abuse because your child will grow up in this environment. Always having a choice, go for freedom.
Related Articles
- VERBAL HARASSMENT: Meaning, Example, Workplace & Law
- FINANCIAL ABUSE: Definition, Types, How to Recover It & Difference
- HARASSMENT: Definition, Harassment at Work Place & Examples
- PSYCHOLOGICAL PRICING: Effective Practices for Every Business
References
