26/01/2023
How to protect yourself from verbal abuse
Verbal abuse is intended to belittle, humiliate, and psychologically harm the other person. It can be extremely harmful especially when. We experience it in our childhoods. It leads to low self-esteem, self-criticism, self-loathing, and overwhelming shame. It makes people more susceptible to anxiety, depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Here are some examples of verbal/emotional abuse
• jealous accusations
• name calling
• making jokes at your expense
• constantly telling you things like “that didn’t happen” or “you’re remembering that wrong”
• telling you not to see friends and family
• harming or threatening the well-being of pets, children, or your possessions
• threatening to harm themselves or leave you if they’re upset
• making cruel and demeaning comments about you to others
• demanding access to your personal accounts or social media
• saying you can’t have access to money or resources
• denying your medical needs
• insisting on knowing where you are and what you’re doing at all times
• mocking you and undermining your efforts
In this article Melissa Barsotti offers a method of putting up boundaries against this abuse.
Verbal abuse is a type of emotional abuse that uses language and communication to cause harm. If you're experiencing verbal abuse, help is available.
