It is important to recognize that mental domestic abuse does not only occur between spouses. It can happen between a parent and child, elder and caretaker, or any time a significant other or family member sees himself as superior to the victim and uses that superiority to coerce, control or emotionally damage her. According to HelpGuide, a nonprofit online resource for victims of abuse, the first defense against mental abuse is to recognize and admit to yourself that it is happening to you.
Definition
HelpGuide defines mental abuse as any behavior that is intended to control another person, either through fear and intimidation or guilt and shame. It erodes the victim's feelings about herself and can make her incapable of intellectually functioning on her own.
Trends
The stereotypical victim of abuse is female, but men are beginning to come forward more often to admit to being emotionally and verbally abused by their significant others.
Mental abuse can and often does escalate into physical abuse if it goes unchecked, especially between spouses. It is common for an abuser to threaten physical harm against his victim, a pet or a loved one as a means of maintaining control. When he threatens often enough, it is an easy next step to actually do it.
Types
Mental abuse can be emotional, economic, verbal or psychological. Often, it is a combination of all four. The terms mental abuse and emotional abuse are often used interchangeably. Verbal abuse involves control of the victim with words or body language. Economic abuse can occur when the abuser completely controls the purse strings and the victim has no other means of income. Psychological abuse can involve isolation when the victim is cut off from friends or loved ones or it can mean manipulation through mind games. Your abuser may make you feel like you're crazy for believing he shouldn't treat you the way he does or that he is doing anything wrong.
Examples
When a parent criticizes and demeans her child, it is abusive behavior. If your spouse puts you down in front of others, controls your spending to the penny, calls your cell phone hourly to find out where you are, or stalks your place of employment to make sure you're working, these are all examples of mental abuse. When elders are appointed a guardian, mental abuse can include threats of withholding care or taking their money.
Signs
You may doubt that you are being abused because you've never been physically harmed. You might believe that you simply have a bad relationship with the person who is abusing you. But if you tend to feel inadequate, confined, frequently embarrassed or helpless, these are all signs that you are being mentally abused, according to HelpGuide. Signs that a friend or family member is being abused may include a gradual change in personality, such as a formerly confident person beginning to second guess herself, or a marked reduction in the amount of time she once spent with others.
Member Comments