Trigger warning: emotional abuse.
Emotional abuse is real
Emotional abuse is real and just as destructive to a human being as physical abuse. To be honest, I still think many of us don’t even know what emotional abuse is, or that it is considered domestic violence.
Emotional abuse and verbal abuse aren’t just name calling and yelling, they include bringing confusion into the mix so that the chaos from it will distract people from seeing the truth.
Emotional abuse is violence
Abuse comes in many forms but often goes hand in hand with control and emotional manipulation. Most domestic violence survivors will tell you that the wounds of emotional abuse are far more painful and long-lasting than the wounds from physical abuse.
Emotional abuse is just as damaging as physical abuse, if not worse. At least with physical abuse you know who the bad guy is. Emotional abuse causes one to destroy themselves and believe they are worthless.
Violence is not merely killing another. It is violence when we use a sharp word, when we make a gesture to brush away a person, when we obey out of fear. Violence is much more subtle and cuts much deeper.
Emotional abuse uses guilt
Are you in a toxic and abusive relationship? Are you dealing with an emotionally unavailable parent or partner?
The primary weapon of emotional abusers is the deliberate infliction of guilt.
They use guilt the same way a loan shark uses money: They don’t want the “debt” paid off because they live quite happily on the “interest”.
The hardest part is walking away
What you need to be aware of is the importance of self esteem, self belief, self confidence, assertiveness, boundaries and resilience. When someone isn’t treating you right, no matter how much you love them, you’ve got to love yourself more and walk away.
We need to love ourselves enough to know what we deserve.
Dr Jasmine Badge
Healing is an art. It takes time. It takes practice. It takes love. Dr Jasmine is a firm supporter of the idea that people, no matter what their diagnoses, can be helped to live their live more effectively through psychotherapy - The Power of Choice.
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