Emotional Abuse

The Symptoms of Emotional Abuse

Home | The Symptoms of Emotional Abuse | Your Stories | What You Can Do About It | Someone I know is being abused | Links and Contacts | Message Board & Guestbook | Donations

The symptoms of emotional abuse can include some or all of the following:

Do you feel that you can't discuss with your partner what is bothering you?

Does your partner frequently criticize you, humiliate you, or undermine your self-esteem?

Does your partner ridicule you for expressing yourself?

Does your partner isolate you from friends, family or groups?

Does your partner limit your access to work, money or material resources? 

Has your partner ever stolen from you?  Or run up debts for you to handle? 

Does your relationship swing back and forth between a lot of emotional distance and being very close? 

Have you ever felt obligated to have sex, just to avoid an argument about it?

Do you sometimes feel trapped in the relationship?

Has your partner ever thrown away your belongings, destroyed objects or threatened pets?

Are you afraid of your partner?

Does he compare you to a beautiful famous person who you don't look like and never can?

blkfade.gif

Mr Right

A Non-Abusive Man
Is Cheerful
Consistent
Supportive
Tells You You Look Good
Tells You You're Competent
Uses Your Name
Trusts You
Trusts Your Judgement
Welcomes Your Friends and Family
Encourages You To Be Independent
Supports Your Learning, Career etc.
Admits to Being Wrong
Is a Responsible Parent
Is an equal parent
Does his share of the housework
Shares Financial Responsibility
Accepts that you have a right to say "no" to sex
Takes responsibility for his own actions and his own well being and happiness

Mr Wrong

An Abusive Man:
Shouts
Sulks
Smashes Things
Glares
Calls You Names
Makes You Feel Ugly and Useless
Cuts You Off From Your Friends
Stops you Working
Never Admits He's Wrong
Turns the Children against you
Uses the children to control you
Never does his share of the housework
Never looks after the children
Expects sex on demand
Controls the money
Threatens you to get his own way
Compares you with someone glamorous who you look nothing like
Seduces your friends/sister/anyone
Expects you to be responsible for his well-being
Blames you for his drink, drugs etc problem

What is emotional abuse
 
Fear of physical harm
Deprivation of food, sleep or money
Biting, pushing, kicking, punching
Verbal or sexual threatening
Emotional blackmail
Isolation from family or friends
Imprisonment in your own home
Humiliation or belittlement
Using your children against you
 

fadedrose.jpg