How to Take a Stand Against Emotional & Mental Abuse
An abusive relationship doesn't necessarily involve physical violence. Emotional and mental abuse may not leave visible scars, but can cause as much pain as physical abuse. If you are constantly afraid of your partner and feel as if you can never do anything right for them, if your emotions feel numb or bruised or if your partner blames you for their own abusive behavior, you may be experiencing emotional or mental abuse. It's important to recognize this behavior as abuse, stand up against it and seek help.
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Instructions
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Try to persuade your abusive partner to seek therapy, particularly group therapy. Often abusers do not see their own behavior as abusive, but they may recognize similar dysfunctional behaviors in others.
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Leave the abuser if they do not change or attempt to do so. If an abuser cannot admit their own behavior is wrong, the abuse will continue, and will continue to harm you. If you stay in an abusive relationship, even with someone you love, you are only enabling the abuser. For your own emotional and mental safety, you should remove yourself from the abusive situation and find a place where you can be safe.
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Separate yourself from your past emotionally. Just because you have experienced emotional and mental abuse in the past does not mean that you should continue to do so. Disassociate yourself from what has happened and focus on how things will be different in the future.
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Focus on understanding and accepting yourself. Often people stay in abusive relationships because they are afraid to be alone. If you are able to spend time alone assessing who you are and who you want to be, you will be better able to see how the abusive relationship is hindering you from reaching your goals.
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Accept help from friends. It's so easy to insist that nothing is wrong when concerned friends ask how you are, but doing so only builds barriers between you and people who care for you and want to help. Talk to friends you can trust and be honest about the abuse you are experiencing and your need for help. Surround yourself with people who support you and care for you.
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Seek professional help. Emotional and mental abuse leaves inner scars which are not likely to heal on their own. Professional therapy will help you accept and value yourself as a person. Group therapy may help you recognize that what you have experienced does indeed count as abuse, even if there is no physical component. Therapy can also help you avoid repeating abusive relationships in the future.
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References
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