Often, the physical things carry more weight. In other words, we take the things that we can see or hold more seriously. Take our physical health for example. Because we can clearly see changes in our physical health, we pay attention to what might affect it and adjust our lifestyle accordingly: we diet, we exercise, we try to get more rest. However, many of us don’t take our mental or emotional health as seriously.
The same is true when it comes to physical and emotional abuse. Many recognize physical abuse as a serious problem, but emotional abuse isn’t as widely acknowledged, understood, or detected—even though it is more common and just as damaging.
“There are wounds that never show on the body. That are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” –Laurell K. Hamilton
Those who fall victim to emotional abuse commonly feel guilty or ashamed, which makes seeking treatment a challenge in itself. However, counseling can prove significant to their recovery from emotional abuse. The emotional abuse counselors at Thriveworks in Waltham want to help you heal. They are dedicated to helping you out of the dark hole that you’re in and living a happy life despite the damage that emotional abuse has caused you.
What Exactly Is Emotional Abuse?
So, what exactly constitutes emotional abuse? Those who utilize this form of abuse are on a mission to control their victim. And they use a range of tactics to accomplish this mission, of which include:
- Isolation: Emotional abusers will try to keep their victim isolated from friends and family. Here’s an example of how they might do so: Jon plans to visit his old college roommate this weekend. He tells his girlfriend Miranda how excited he is about his trip, only to feel guilty about going. She tells him she’s had a really stressful week at work and just wants to spend the weekend in bed with him. Can’t he go another weekend, she begs. Quickly, Jon gives in and tells her he’ll go next month instead.
- Criticism: This is another tactic often employed by emotional abusers: they criticize the victim and manipulate them to believe they deserve it. Here’s an example: Jessica forgets to pick up the dry-cleaning on her way home from work. “Sorry Mom, I’ll pick it up tomorrow!” she says flippantly. But this isn’t received well. “Jessica, I needed my dress today. I have a very important job interview. You couldn’t do this one thing for me?” Quickly, Jessica feels guilty for forgetting. “I never do anything right,” she thinks to herself.
Other techniques employed by emotional abusers include humiliation, bullying, mind games, and insults. Any combination of these tactics proves hurtful to the victim(s), but often further empowers the abuser.
How Does Emotional Abuse Counseling Work?
To free yourself from emotional abuse, you must first free yourself from the abusive relationship: whether it’s an abusive romantic partner, an abusive friend, or an abusive family member. If you’re experiencing any form or degree of abuse, put your health and wellbeing first and get out. This is the first step toward healing. The rest of the process relies on your processing the abuse, understanding how it has affected and is still affecting you, and deciding to build healthy, mutually beneficial relationships moving forward.
An emotional abuse counselor at Thriveworks in Waltham can assist you on this journey toward healing. They can work with you to determine what you need to truly heal and move on from the damage that has resulted from the abusive relationship.
Start Emotional Abuse Counseling at Thriveworks Counseling in Waltham Today
If you’ve fallen victim to emotional abuse, you can find value in working with an emotional abuse counselor at Thriveworks in Waltham. The counselors at Thriveworks have the proper training and experience to help you recover from the abuse. They can help you process your experience with the abuse and move forward with your life. To schedule an appointment today, just give us a call at (781) 309-9149.
