SEVEN SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE IN A RELATIONSHIP

Emotional abuse in a relationship can come in different ways.
Usually, the objective of the abuser is to erode the self-esteem, autonomy, and mental health of their victims. Once they are able to achieve their objectives, their target will become their puppets.

So, what signs show emotional abuse?

CONTROL AND DOMINATION

A person can emotionally abuse their lover by seeking to control or dominate their lives. For instance, they want to control every of their lover’s decisions.

Another way a person emotionally abuses their lover is through possessiveness. They isolate their lover from their family, friends, and hobbies.

Abusers isolate their victims so they fully depend on them. For instance, they control the finances of their lovers, and the victim cannot spend their money without their approval.

VERBAL ATTACKS

Toxic people emotionally abuse their partner with insults. They consistently use derogatory terms to undermine or belittle their lover.
Emotional abusers also make use of humorous comments laced with sarcasm to erode the feelings or views. Their statements could come off as humorous, but the purpose of abusers is to mock their targets. Other toxic persons use yelling to intimidate their partner. They attempt to compromise the self-esteem of their lover by screaming at them so they can no stand up for themselves.

GASLIGHTING

Manipulative people are good at gaslighting others, especially their partner. Usually, they will mess with the head of their lover to the point that they will start questioning their reality.
For instance, when a man complains about the actions of his lover and she denies ever acting in such a manner. Her denial of what she did or the event can leave her lover confused. Other times, when a person complains about the actions of their lover. If the abuser insists that they are overreacting rather than owning up to their mistakes, they are gaslighting their victim.

GUILT TRIPPING

One of the most potent tools that toxic people use to abuse their victim is guilt tripping. They make their partner claim responsibility for their sadness despite the fact that they didn’t cause it.
Sometimes, these abusers start acting up and blame their spouse for it.
Some emotionally manipulate their partner by withholding intimacy until he meets their demands. They use sex as a bargaining chip to ensure that their partner meets their demands.
Abusers who love to play victim cards are manipulators. They spin events to favour them in order to gain sympathy just to portray their partner in a bad light.

COMPROMISING CONFIDENCE

One of the ways that some people manage to compromise the confidence of their partner is through consistent criticism. They look out for errors in everything their lover does, making them feel less of themselves.
Some people emotionally abuse their partners by constantly making light of their goals or successes. They will never praise their partner for their win or encourage them to strive harder. Lovers should learn to run away from partners who compare them with people who are more successful than them. The aim of emotional abusers is to erode the confidence of their lover.

ISOLATION

One of the most effective strategy that toxic people use against their partner is isolation. When a bad person enters into their lover’s life, they manipulate them into cutting ties with their support systems.
Most times, a person’s support systems are their family members and friends. They carry out their isolation plans by sabotaging their lover’s relationship with his support systems with lies. Such people also cause quarrel with their partner’s family members or friends and make them take sides. Any person who tries to stop their lover from pursuing their hobbies is trying to isolate them.

NEGLECT AND DISRESPECT

Toxic people use silent treatment to emotionally abuse or gain control over their lover. They deliberately withhold communication in order to force their lover to become amenable to their whims.
People who are not empathetic to the plight of their lover are toxic. If they cannot offer emotional support to their lover at their lowest period, they have no need to be in their life.
People who don’t respect boundaries are very toxic. They lack respect for their lovers because they don’t know where and when to draw the line.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is not easy to identify emotional abuse in a relationship especially if a person is too much in their feelings. However, a person who is logical can easily tell when they are being emotionally abused. You should be able to identify emotional abuse. You are advised to plan your exit strategy.