Is Your Relationship Abusive?

Summary

The article discusses the signs of emotional abuse in relationships, emphasizing that such abuse can occur in any type of relationship and is not limited to romantic partnerships.

Abstract

The article "Is Your Relationship Abusive?" by Kristen Abram highlights the prevalence of emotional abuse in various types of relationships, including platonic, professional, and familial. It outlines a list of abusive behaviors such as withholding, ignoring, threatening, and belittling, among others. The author, who is a certified master life coach and freelance writer, stresses the importance of recognizing these signs for one's mental health and happiness. The article suggests that while some relationships may improve with the establishment of boundaries, others may require complete disconnection from the abuser if the harmful behaviors persist. Readers are invited to share their experiences with such traits in their relationships.

Opinions

The author believes that emotional abuse can be subtle and often goes unrecognized because people associate abuse solely with physical violence or verbal insults.
It is the author's opinion that emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse, and it is crucial to identify and address it.
The author advocates for setting boundaries as a first step in dealing with an emotionally abusive relationship, but also acknowledges that this may not always be effective.
There is an implication that the author has personal experience with emotional abuse, as indicated by the phrase "It has even happened to me!"
The author encourages open discussion about emotional abuse by inviting readers to share their experiences in the comments, fostering a community of support and awareness.

Is Your Relationship Abusive?

So many of us have been in emotionally abusive relationships, and didn’t even realize it because we don’t know what the signs are. Often we think that if our partner isn’t physically hitting us, or calling us names that the relationship can’t possibly be abusive, but it can. It has even happened to me!

I am not necessarily referring to romantic relationships either. Emotional abuse can happen in literally any relationship you have whether it is platonic, professional or familial.

The following behaviors and attitudes should serve as warning signs for you:

- Withholding - Ignoring - Restricting - Isolating - Threatening - Abandoning - Ridiculing - Blaming/Accusing - Minimizing - Ordering - Coercing - Belittling - Demeaning -Constant Criticism - Chronic Deceit - Negative Labeling

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but if you start seeing these signs in any of your relationships, it may be time to put some boundaries in place or rethink your relationship with that person!

There are relationships that have these signs displayed that improve when boundaries are put up, but often times, this isn’t the case and the abuser will continue to behave this way. If the behaviors don’t change with boundaries, it may be in your best interest to completely disconnect from this person for the sake of your own mental health and happiness.

Let me know in the comments if you have experienced any of these traits displayed towards you in any of your relationships.

Originally published at http://kristenabram.com on July 18, 2020.

Kristen is not only a certified master life coach, but is also a freelance writer specializing in personal development. Check out her freelancing profile here:

Is Your Relationship Abusive?

Kristen A.

With almost a decade of education and experience behind me, it is my mission as a certified master life coach to help…