I was emotionally abused, and even years later, I still carry my scars with me everyday. I was with a boy that I loved more than anything, and he wrecked me. He made me feel like I was the problem whenever something went wrong. It made me feel like I couldn't do anything right. I began to hate myself because I couldn't make him happy; I felt as if I was failing as a girlfriend. It was one of the lowest points in my life, and it was all over words a boy said to me.
Emotional abuse is a devastating thing for people to go through and it can be extremely difficult to recover from. I was in therapy for two years, but even now I still have parts of the abuse that I can't let go of. I carry my scars with me everyday, along with the wounds that still haven't fully closed yet. It's one of those things that even when you have recovered and learned to deal with it, you can never truly let it go.
Every person who has experienced emotional abuse has had a different experience, but we each have scars. I will always have scars, but thankfully I've learned to deal with them. They still hurt sometimes when I remember something, but I have learned to cope with those feelings. I know my own worth now, and I don't let words he once said knock me down anymore. I've moved on from his abuse after learning slowly how to heal myself and build myself higher. It was a hard journey, but I've grown from it.
For many victims though, they still don't know how to cope. I was lost for awhile trying to stand back up after being knocked down, and many others will be too. It's okay to not know what to do after getting out of an emotionally abusive relationship. My advice for anyone who has suffered this way is to find what works for you coping wise and if you can, talk about what happened. Talking is important because you can hear and understand what you experienced, it helps give you perspective. And coping methods vary, so try different things. I hung out with friends and read a ton, but for some they might need to work out and be alone. It's all up to the individual, so try and find what you need to feel better because you deserve to feel good about yourself.
Emotional abuse is destructive, but it doesn't have to destroy you. You can live through the abuse and learn to stand tall again. There's millions of ways to cope with what you've suffered through, and eventually you'll find your way. Your wounds will close and you'll be left with scars that you can only feel, but they're just a part of who you are. Your scars don't define you and neither does your past concerning abuse. You will learn from the experience you faced and hopefully take your lessons learned to heart to become a stronger person than what you were. Every victim of emotional abuse will recover, but you decide if you want to grow from the experience or let it stunt your emotional growth. You make the choice, but try to grow from it. It's an awful experience, but if you can try to make yourself better after it, that's the best thing you can do. Life after emotional abuse is hard, but it gets better-- so keep going. You can recover, and you will as long as you don't give up on yourself. Just remember you're amazing and that your recovery will come, just give yourself time and love. That's all it takes.
