You don’t find out that you are being emotionally abused until it’s too late. It’s hard to understand the early signs of emotional abuse. Emotional abuse happens so sneakily that a victim doesn’t realize it because they are not aware of emotional abuse meaning.
Emotional abuse definition says when a person is controlled, manipulated, blamed, bullied, gaslighted, criticized and their mental health and self-esteem are destroyed, emotional abuse takes place.
Emotional abuse and toxic relationship signs are interconnected and if you are going through the following then there is cause for concern:
• If you lose your identity
• If you have changed as a person
• If you have changed for worse
• If there’s a constant void inside you
• If you constantly live in fear
• If they keep blaming you for everything
Independent, educated, professional women are more likely to stay longer in toxic relationships and the worst part of emotional abuse is victims feel that they are at fault.
The subtle signs of emotional abuse unfold with Love Bombing which is showering attention and affection in order to gain their trust as soon as possible. Love Bombing happens with both the genders.
If someone kisses you today and slaps you tomorrow, it doesn’t make the slap okay. It is physical signs of emotional abuse. A common statement of abusers – “I got angry because you provoked me.”
Related Reading: 5 Ways Blame-Shifting In A Relationship Harms It
People often end up tolerating emotional and physical abuse because of lack of financial freedom. Children are used as pawns to emotionally abuse the partner.
But how to stop relationship abuse? Communication error leads to toxic behaviour, which can be fixed. But when it’s abuse, destruction of self-esteem and manipulation, there’s no way to fix it.
There are stages of recovering from emotional abuse and in order to heal from abuse here is what you need to do:
• Build your support network
• Reach out to old friends
• Make new friends
• Be ready for threats, emotional blackmail and personal attacks
• Make a journal to record what you have gone through
• Trust your instincts
Related Reading: Heal A Broken Heart With These 15 Tips From Experts
Recovering from emotional abuse takes time but it is possible. Sit down with your partner and communicate about how you feel about the abuse and then both of you can go together to relationship counseling. There is hope and healing from emotional abuse.
Instead of asking “what’s wrong with me?”, ask your brain “what’s wrong with this relationship?”
Therapy will help in healing from emotional abuse and you can grow together.
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