EMOTIONAL ABUSE occurs when an abusive person subjects/exposes you to damaging non-physical behaviors in order to shame, isolate, discredit, manipulate, bully, and confuse you. These behaviors can erode self-worth over time and are often harder to recognize compared to other types of abuse.
Not all abuse is physical. Emotional abuse can be just as psychologically damaging as physical and sexual abuse. It can also be harder to detect than other forms of abuse, and it not uncommon for victims of domestic violence to experience emotional abuse before their partner escalates to physical violence.
Emotional abuse can include verbal abuse like name-calling, threats and yelling, or in other forms like manipulation, gaslighting, stonewalling, coercion, love-bombing, and more.
Here are some examples of emotional abuse:
What is an example of emotional abuse?
Calling you names /constantly criticizing you. (VERBAL ABUSE)
This can include using derogatory nicknames to degrade you.
Attempting to control the way you dress, eat, who you hang out with. humiliating you in front of other people.
Blaming you for their abusive behaviors.
Acting excessively jealous or possessive of you. Refusing to trust you.
Cheating on you. Blaming you for them cheating. Threatening you that they will cheat again unless you do something for/to them.
Punishing you by withholding affection.
Threatening to commit suicide or self-harm during an argument or when you try to end the relationship.
FAQs about Emotional Abuse
Is it abuse if someone yells at you?
Yelling can be abusive, especially if it includes threats or name-calling. If you partner yells at you constantly, or make you feel unsafe it may be a red flag for emotional abuse. Odds are there might be something wrong if you're already asking. Here are some questions you can ask yourself if you are experiencing yelling in your relationship:
Does my partner feel like a safe person?
Do I feel afraid for my safety when my partner is angry?
How do I feel when my partner yells at me?
Do I feel afraid? Disrespected?
What is the goal of the yelling?
Is it to express frustration or to intimidate, control or hurt?
How often does yelling occur?
Does this happen frequently, or is it rare?
Is it abuse if it's not intentional?
Most often abuse is intentional, but there can be cases where a person does not realize they are being abusive due to their own perceptions about what is normal in a relationship. They may know they are being unkind, or wrong, but not recognize their actions as abuse.
It is not your responsibility to convince someone they are abusing you. An abuser may pretend to not know what they are doing, or claim they don't understand right from wrong. Furthermore, if someone cannot tell right from wrong, or cannot see how they are abusive, it is probably best to stay away from such a person.
Is it abuse if it doesn't leave a mark?
There are many forms of abuse that do not leave physical scars, like emotional, economic, and legal abuse. Emotional abuse can be hard to detect exactly because it does not leave marks on the body, but it can cause physiological trauma and emotional scars that are just as damaging.
YOU MATTER!
If you or anyone you know is experiencing emotional abuse, seek help. You are not alone. YOU MATTER!
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