counseling for
emotional abuse
tulsa oklahoma
Identifying emotional abuse
can be really challenging, even though it's the most common form of abusive behavior.
One reason it's hard to spot is because it's often seen as normal in our society. Many people think that emotional abuse is just a regular part of relationships.
Emotional abuse comes in different forms, ranging from someone giving you the silent treatment to being criticized and verbally scolded regularly. It's like a spectrum of hurtful behaviors.
living with these situations?
Feeling like you're not good enough
Being insulted with hurtful names
Your partner making jokes that hurt your feelings
Being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others
Avoiding your friends or family because you're scared of how your partner will act around them
Believing that everything wrong in your partner's life is your fault
Feeling tense and anxious when your partner is nearby
Worrying about making your partner angry or disagreeing with them
Facing threats that your partner will physically harm you or your loved ones if you leave
Hearing threats that your partner will hurt themselves or even commit suicide if you leave them
Always wondering what kind of mood your partner will be in
Abusers employ various
strategies to keep their victims under their control. Some of the more aggressive forms of emotional abuse involve making the victim feel completely worthless. This can include blaming, threatening, criticizing, and using hurtful names.
The abuser's goal is to establish dominance by taking charge of the relationship and manipulating situations in a way that always makes the victim feel at fault. Over time, the victim might start believing that they are to blame for the abuse and that they deserve to be treated poorly. Invalidating the victim's thoughts or feelings is another way the abuser tries to diminish their partner and maintain control.
Downplaying the victim's reaction to
abusive behavior is a common tactic that abusers use to maintain control. They might try to make their partner feel like they're blowing things out of proportion or exaggerating what happened and how they feel. This can lead victims to lose confidence in their own judgment. They end up feeling uncertain about what's real and what's not, which keeps them stuck, always wondering if maybe it's not as bad as they think.
In some cases, the abuser might even deny that any abuse is happening at all, claiming they've never said anything hurtful to their partner. Disregarding their partner's needs or completely ignoring them are additional ways abusers punish the victim and maintain control. This can be particularly damaging because it further confuses the victim and erodes their trust in themselves and their own thoughts and feelings about what's happening.
At Exhale Wellness, our therapists work with many clients who have endured years of emotional abuse. We understand the pain and challenges that come with dealing with these painful memories and emotions. Many people may not even realize that they've been victims of emotional abuse because it's so normalized in our society. This makes it difficult for them to recognize what they've been through.
A lot of adults come from homes where
emotional abuse was a part of their upbringing, and they may discover that their current relationships repeat the same patterns they experienced in the past. If these issues aren't addressed, people who were emotionally abused as children can develop a feeling of learned helplessness that sticks with them into adulthood. Therapy can be incredibly helpful in healing these old emotional wounds and in learning how to be more assertive to prevent further mistreatment.
Our therapists aim to create a safe and
supportive environment where clients can build a healthier sense of self-worth and self-esteem. A major goal is helping individuals learn to trust themselves and believe that they deserve healthy, positive relationships, especially after enduring the challenges of emotional abuse.