Those who have suffered from psychological abuse have been silent for too long. They might not have bruises on their skin but they have mental wounds. According to Wikipedia, mental abuse is defined as “a form of abuse, characterized by a person subjecting, or exposing, another person to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder.” These outcomes carry a heavy weight on the human body and we can no longer stand for it.
Psychological abuse, also known as mental abuse or emotional abuse, affects over four in 10 women and four in 10 men in relationships, as reported. Many victims do not report their cases of mental abuse due to the fear of being unaccepted or misunderstood. Often, mental abuse cannot be physically proven. For too long, victims like me have been dismissed and labeled as "attention seeking," or "unstable." It wasn't until college that I realized my depression was caused by underlying mental abuse. After taking a course required for every incoming freshman, I realized my answers to every question about abusive relationship signs were marked “yes.” These results were distressing. I didn't know what to do or who to confront. I felt as if my parents, my friends and my co-workers would not understand.
I decided to keep this chapter of my life to myself. Recently, I realized that this form of silence gives the abuser exactly what they want. They made me feel as if I was crazy, as if the failing relationship was my fault. They turned people against me although they were the one causing the pain. After taking this test, I learned that this form of abuse includes controlling the victim, humiliating the victim, isolating the victim, undermining the victim or convincing the victim that he/she is crazy. There are over 32 more forms of psychological abuse, but these forms are the most common.
Psychological abuse has been proven to cause long-term damage to a victim’s mental health. Victims of psychological abuse often experience depression, PTSD, suicidal thoughts and low self-esteem. Most abusive relationships do not begin with an abusive personality. The abuse often follows a loving relationship. The abuser tends to become overprotective or feels as if they are threatened by their partner.
This type of abuse is unacceptable, and no one should stand for it as long as I did. No one should ever feel insignificant due to the words of another person; especially a person who you thought you loved. No one should be pushed far enough to become susceptible to depression, anxiety, suicide, etc. Psychological abuse changed my life forever, but fortunately, now I am stronger than ever. I have learned to cope with my past experiences and help prevent psychological abuse in others.
Not everyone is lucky enough to escape an abusive relationship. In manyabusive situations the victim has low self-esteem and often feels as if they cannot leave their abuser. They feel as if they are not worthy of a non-abusive relationship. One out of every four psychologically abused victims attempts to commit suicide. Psychological abuse is real, and it needs to be recognized by everyone.
“The scars from mental cruelty can be as deep and long-lasting as wounds from punches or slaps but are often not as obvious. In fact, even among women who have experienced violence from a partner, half or more report that the man’s emotional abuse is what is causing them the greatest harm.”
- Lundy Bancroft