Emotional abuse Types refers to any behavior which intentionally controls, isolates, punishes and/or humiliates another individual through fear and humiliation. Although just as dangerous as other forms of abuse such as sexual or physical, emotional abuse is harder to identify and define. Therapy for emotional abuse allows mental health professionals to reach out faster while working from home with the convenience of managing multiple clients simultaneously – Calmerry online therapy makes money while giving you more freedom in managing your workload. With Calmerry you can make more money and achieve better life balance!
Emotional abuse occurs when one person uses their power to manipulate, shame, criticize or blame another individual. This can be done through words or behaviors and may begin slowly but escalate over time. Emotional abuse may occur alongside other types of abuse or be the only type present.
How common is emotional abuse?
Emotional abuse is unfortunately all too common, with most of us having experienced it at some point in our lives. How it manifests depends on cultural and individual differences, but can take many forms and manifest in various contexts. Furthermore, emotional abuse often changes family dynamics over time as parents and children grow apart.
Are Emotional Abusers Violent?
Abusers employ a range of manipulative tactics, and it is possible that emotional abusers may resort to physical violence if their needs aren’t met. Such acts often stem from deep insecurity and an urge for control over others; abuse can escalate in severity over time if these abusers don’t receive their desired outcomes.
Examples of emotional abuse
Emotional abuse has two purposes: to control and isolate. Over time, emotional abuse may cause self-doubt and loss of self-worth which only serves to increase the perpetrator’s control power.
Here are some examples of emotional abuse:
- Controlling
- Silent treatment
- Name calling
- Gaslighting
- Shaming
- Blaming
- Hoovering
- Remaining in love
- Threatening
- Invalidating
- Guilt-tripping
- Acusing
- Humiliation
Emotional Abuse vs Normal Conflict
Conflict is an inevitable part of every relationship. Healthy conflict can help build stronger bonds and facilitate communication. It’s possible to disagree without creating rifts in the relationship, so many couples benefit from having guidelines for fighting fairly. Emotional abuse does not fall under normal conflict resolution – it requires special handling.
Signs of emotional abuse
Every relationship experiences conflict from time to time. Emotional abuse, however, is much more serious than normal conflict and involves an imbalance of power and an attempt at control. These signs that your relationship may be abusive could indicate.
Does the person make you feel controlled or controlled in any way?
Identify what these behaviors indicate about them and take steps to end them immediately if applicable.
Emotional abuse is the most widespread form of domestic violence. When someone exerts control over another, they can limit the victim’s freedom and independence; this includes time, money and actions.
These examples of emotionally abusive control behavior:
- Management of finances without easy access
- Limitations on who you can spend time with or when/where they will be found
- Tracking activities via internet or GPS location to monitor whereabouts in real-time.
- Storing car keys
- Work limitations
Your partner frequently criticizes you.
Criticizing can also be a form of emotional abuse. Constant criticism can erode one’s self-worth and sense of self; they might lose their capacity for trusting themselves or perceiving what is going on around them. Emotionally abusive criticism differs from feedback in that it is not constructive.
Examples of emotional abuse in criticism include:
- Name calling
- Remarkable decreases in achievements
- Criticizing beliefs, points of views and actions
- Put-downs
- Character attacks
There are various patterns when denial and accusing others.
In emotionally abusive relationships, there may be denial and accusations. Accusing means accusing someone of doing something wrong such as cheating; this can cause the victim to feel defensive and even forced to reflect upon their actions. Denying occurs when the perpetrator denies the validity of their words or behavior.
Emotional abuse can be identified by:
- Refusing to acknowledge the harm done.
- Trivishing other people’s emotions.
- Gaslighting
- Infidelity or abuse accusations made against the victim.
- Your partner has unrealistic expectations of you.
Some emotional abusers might have unrealistic expectations for you, such as:
- Being right is always wrong
- Prioritizing their needs over yours
- No autonomy in making decisions or actions
- Feeling judged and condemned are also possible outcomes of emotional abuse.
- Accepting that they should be respected and listened to
- Continue making unreasonable requests of yourself
Your partner uses emotional blackmail against you
Emotional Blackmail is when someone attempts to control your thoughts and behavior by manipulating emotions. Although subtle, this can lead to feelings of guilt or shame which may manifest as guilt-tripping, dissatisfaction with life, etc.
Emotional Abuse and Its Negative Consequences
Victims and survivors of emotional abuse can face severe repercussions. Emotional abuse has the potential to have long-lasting negative effects on those affected, both emotionally and psychologically.
Emotional abuse can have numerous detrimental effects, including:
- Trauma and relationship PTSD
- Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
- Isolation may lead to the breakdown of relationships with family and friends
- Codependency within a relationship provides stress which could impact performance at school or at work.
By asking them questions about their experiences and abilities to accurately evaluate them, you can gain insight into how trauma bonding occurs between victims and perpetrators.