People who have control and power over another person can inflict emotional abuse. Emotional Abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. Some people even argue that emotional abuse can be worse than physical abuse. No matter what anyone thinks, abuse is abuse and it’s wrong.
Emotional abuse may leave deep psychological scars. In emotional abuse the perpetrator withholds all emotional satisfaction from the victim. The self-dignity of the victim is bruised repeatedly and he/she is shown as a lesser person. Emotional abuse can be inflicted in many different ways.
Devaluing the person is one way. Giving no value to a person’s intelligence and opinion, and repeatedly questioning his/her intelligence is another form of emotional abuse. Public humiliation of a person is another form of abuse. To make someone feel inferior and laugh at him/her and make others join in on the fun is another form of emotional abuse. We all have a feeling of needing to feel emotionally safe. To make a person feel unsafe is another way of victimization in addition to threatening to leave that person alone without any help and terrorizing him/her.
Taking away financial freedom is a form of emotional abuse as well as financial abuse, making the person totally dependent on the abuser is another common abuse. Lack of money can stop the victim from enjoying some pleasures in life or having a sense of independence. Some abusers even withdraw the use of communication devices such as a telephone, computer, or tablet from the victim to decrease their chances of being exposed as an abuser. Isolation is a classic tactic of abusers. Most abusers do not allow their victims to see or talk to family or friends. Oftentimes abusers will relocate or move the victim to a city or state where the victim does not have family, friends, a support system, or a job where the victim could potentially meet new friends.
Emotional abuse can manifest in many other forms. These abusers are sadists, narcissists, psychopaths, or sociopaths who enjoy degrading a human being and destroying that person’s emotional freedom. This is a crime against humanity. If you are undergoing the slightest emotional abuse, please protect yourself. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or your local Women’s Domestic Violence Shelter.
Dr. Tamika Anderson is an author, speaker, and Founder of Speak Up, Speak Out Enterprises. Dr. Tamika is a survivor of 20 years of Domestic Violence and Abuse. Inspired by her own Domestic Violence experience, Dr. Tamika’s work aims to empower women and survivors of domestic violence through speaking, coaching, and mentoring. Dr. Tamika’s dedication to helping women inspired her to write the #1 International Best-Selling book, Speak Up & Get Out: A Guide to Survive & Thrive from the Devastation of Domestic Violence. To learn more please visit: www.TamikaAnderson.com/Media