Emotional Abuse

You’ve probably heard about physical abuse in relationships, but do you know about emotional abuse?

Emotional abuse is a form of manipulation, verbal assualt, control, and brain-washing that slowly erodes the victim’s sense of self-worth, security, and trust in themselves and others.

It can leave mental and emotional scars that are deeply painful and debilitating. On this page, you’ll learn about the various signs and forms of emotional abuse and how to deal with them.

11 Narcissist Gaslighting Examples And Toxic Phrases They Always Use

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man shouting at his girl Narcissist Gaslighting Examples

Do you know someone who always makes you feel like you’re the one in the wrong, no matter what? 

Chances are, you’re dealing with a narcissist.

Narcissists are masters of manipulation, and they use a technique called gaslighting to make their victims doubt their own sanity.

It’s valuable to read examples of narcissistic gaslighting and learn the toxic words they often use so you recognize what’s going on as soon as possible. 

If you see these behaviors in someone close to you, it’s time to make some changes to protect yourself from further harm.

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It Hurts When Family Talk Behind Your Back: These 43 Quotes Will Validate Your Pain

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woman whispering to someone family talking behind my back quotes

Someone in your family is throwing you shade behind your back, and you feel betrayed. 

Why would a family member, someone who is supposed to love you, want to spread unkind gossip about you?

We feel your pain.

Discovering that you’ve been disparaged or dissected is an atrocious feeling.

So we’re here to boost your spirits with a few dozen validation quotes to help you realize they’re the problem, not you. 

After all, gossiping about family members behind their backs is just mean.

If you have questions or concerns, be mature and talk it out instead.

You aren’t alone in this toxic situation because you wouldn’t believe the number of “fake family talking behind my back” quotes you can find online.

Others are hurting too.

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8 Signs Of Breadcrumbing In A Relationship

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woman texting, what is breadcrumbing

If you’ve ever dated someone who used breadcrumbing to keep you guessing about your relationship status, you know it’s much worse than being ghosted.

Breadcrumbing is something self-centered people do when they feel a need to keep someone on standby.

You’re the one they call (or text) when they’re not enjoying the company of someone they’d rather be with.

But how do you know you’re being breadcrumbed?

And what can you do when you recognize the breadcrumbing signs?

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15 Top Warning Signs Of A Self-Centered and Self-Absorbed Person

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woman taking selfie, self-absorbed person

Is there a self-absorbed person in your life?

Let’s say you’ve been in a relationship for a few months, and you begin to notice your new boyfriend spends a lot of time talking about himself and his accomplishments.

Your beautiful new girlfriend looks around every room she enters.

Full of herself, she waits for heads to turn and admiring looks to come her way.

When you share a success or an exciting event in your life, inevitably the conversation turns to their self-absorption with their achievements or more thrilling adventures.

He or she is a self-centered person.

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Do You Know Someone Who Constantly Plays the Victim? Here Are 13 Strategies to Deal With Them

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how to deal with someone who plays the victim

You’re likely here because you are at your wits’ end with someone who always plays the victim. 

The soul-sucking, mood-dampening, eye-roll-inducing behavior impacts your personal and professional life and can chip away at your own self-esteem. 

If you try to help, you’re attacking a victim.

If you passively accept it, you’re stuck in their rut.

If you try to cut them off, you’ve victimized a victim.

Allow yourself one good scream at the top of your lungs, and let’s dive into some strategies to help you and them. 

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27 Of The Most Glaring Traits Of A Female Narcissist

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Woman yelling, female narcissist

Do you know a woman who is self-absorbed, often cruel, jealous, and critical?

She may be a narcissist.

Female narcissists are often overlooked.

Because they exhibit some of the same behaviors as typical teenage girls, female narcissists can go unnoticed and be passed off for simply being a “mean girl” — or a grown woman.

It’s often assumed that mean girls grow out of their bad behaviors, however, habits like gossiping, excluding other people, and sabotaging relationships can be more common among females with existing narcissistic traits.

Dominant females who are narcissists are almost as threatening as their male counterparts, but females have a certain protection through stereotypes such as “sweet young girl,” a “nurturing mother,” and the “kind little grandma.”

No one thinks the sweet older woman can be vindictive, menacing, and ruthless.

Nor do people expect mothers to be so self-centered that they are willing to abandon or abuse their own children.

The difference between a female and a male narcissist is that females tend to be in competition with other females for superiority, while male narcissists use their charm and appearance to meet their goals.

The truth is, female narcissists never “grow out” of their childhood behaviors.

Instead, they develop more effective aggressive behaviors in their adult years, using their manipulative traits to employ their selfish agendas and to exploit other people.

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7 Stages Of Healing From Emotional Abuse

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sad woman, stages of healing from emotional abuse

You finally did it. You ended it.

You left your abuser after years of manipulation, verbal assaults, control, and unkindness. Now it’s time to face the stages of healing from emotional abuse.

You had the courage to say, “Enough is enough,” and make the excruciating decision to say goodbye to this person you once loved, maybe even still love in spite of everything.

Part of you feels exhilarated.

You are free — free from walking on eggshells, feeling anxious in your own home, spending night after night wondering what you should do.

Your life is now your own.

But another part of you, maybe even the bigger part, feels devastated. All of your hopes and dreams about this relationship have crumbled to dust.

Nothing is ever going to change with this person, and you know it.

Your psyche, your self-esteem, and even your sense of who you are have been shattered by the person who was supposed to love and cherish you the most.

Maybe you beat yourself up over how you could have fallen for this manipulator in the first place. Why didn’t you see it? How could you have stayed so long?

Maybe your heart aches from missing him or her, remembering the good times you had together — good memories that suddenly monopolize your thoughts now that you’ve decided to end things.

There are so many emotions, thoughts, and memories swirling around in your head that you don’t know what is real, what is true, and what is right for you.

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11 Damaging After Effects Of Emotional Abuse

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unhappy couple, after effects of emotional abuse

Have you or has someone you love suffered from an emotionally abusive relationship?

Even if that relationship is now over, you may still be living with the long term effects of emotional abuse. The relief that comes of no longer being subject to abusive treatment doesn’t erase its impact on your psychological well-being.

A Canadian study involving 1,000 women aged 15 and up resulted in the following statistics:

  • 35% of the women had experienced emotional abuse growing up
  • 43% had suffered some form of abuse as children or adolescents
  • 39% had experienced emotional abuse in a relationship within the past five years

Whatever you’ve been through with an abusive spouse, partner, relative, or friend, you have a right to call the abuse what it is, to fight for your independence, and to experience peace again.

And your awareness is the first step toward learning how to recover from emotional abuse.

In this article, we will cover all of the short and long-term effects of emotional abuse and actions you can take to heal.

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