Death by papercuts

What is Emotional Abuse?

Abuse is any behavior that is designed to control and subjugate another human being through the use of fear, humiliation, intimidation, guilt, coercion, manipulation etc. Emotional abuse is any kind of abuse that is emotional rather than physical in nature. It can include anything from verbal abuse and constant criticism to more subtle tactics, such as repeated disapproval or even the refusal to ever be pleased.

Emotional abuse is like brain washing in that it systematically wears away at the victim’s self-confidence, sense of self-worth, trust in their own perceptions, and self-concept. Whether it is done by constant berating and belittling, by intimidation, or under the guise of “guidance,” “teaching”, or “advice,” the results are similar. Eventually, the recipient of the abuse loses all sense of self and remnants of personal value. Emotional abuse cuts to the very core of a person, creating scars that may be far deeper and more lasting that physical ones. In fact there is research to this effect. With emotional abuse, the insults, insinuations, criticism and accusations slowly eat away at the victim’s self-esteem until she is incapable of judging the situation realistically. She has become so beaten down emotionally that she blames herself for the abuse. Her self-esteem is so low that she clings to the abuser.

Emotional abuse victims can become so convinced that they are worthless that they believe that no one else could want them. They stay in abusive situations because they believe they have nowhere else to go.

BEING A VICTIM ISNT A MENTAL ILLNESS!!!!!!!!

Having suffered mental and emotional abuse myself I frankly have not a word to say to the ignorance and stupidity of Blossom. I keep my nose out of things when I don’t know what I’m talking about and I’d think most people would. You simply cannot understand it if you havent experienced it. Had it not been for a good friend of mine putting me up while I got sorted, I wouldnt be here. Fact. The arrogance to assume you have any idea without the experience is laughable. Not only is mental abuse just as much a problem but emotional scars take so much longer to heal. My step mum claims to love me yet I was threatened daily with violence, being made homeless, having my stuff smashed. I was put down daily also, told how useless I was, criticised for how I dressed, how my hair was. I was made to feel like a worthless piece of crap who at one point didn’t even want to live anymore. If that isn’t abuse then the world is as f**ked up as Blossom’s perspective. Say what you like, it’s the worse thing anyone can go through and people that do it should be locked up. Mental abuse is emotional torture.

I’m thankful your no longer there Mask, makes my heart sad to hear you in pain like that. Never, never again. Love you xx

I am who I am because of my experiences Sass, it’s in the past now and I wouldn’t change anything because we don’t know what else that would change. I certainly wouldn’t want to be without you baby. Love you too xxx

yw Mel, sorry to hear you’ve had similar problems. The world is full of pr!cks sadly. The message here is we have won by freeing ourselves and they deserve to be locked up. I tolerate no cruelty and nor should anyone else.

I think it’s safe to say, that most of us would be there in a heartbeat to help our friends in those situations. I just got the point with my friend, i couldn’t bear to see her suffer anymore, so instead of continuing to ask her to move in with me, i TOLD her she wasn’t going back to that place, except with me to get her stuff. She thinks i did this amazing thing for her, i don’t think i did anything that special, i acted out of love for her. Apparantly i was the only one here in edinburgh who did anything to intervene. I was just gutted she wouldn’t let me spike his juice with a powerful laxative.

I saw the signs of abuse there, because he acted the same way my ex boyfriend did.