Psychological Violence

Just because you are not beaten and bruised does not mean you are not being abused. Many people suffer from emotional abuse, which is no less destructive than physical abuse. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often minimised or overlooked even by the victim.

You might think that physical abuse is more harmful than emotional abuse, given that physical violence can put you in hospital and leave you with scars. But the scars of emotional abuse are very real and deep. In fact, emotional abuse can be just as traumatising or even more harmful than physical abuse.

Do you feel afraid of your partner?

• Are you scared of the way your partner acts most of the time?
• Do you avoid certain topics because you are afraid of infuriating your partner?
• Do you feel that your partner thinks you are worthless?
• Do you think you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
• Do you avoid doing anything that might lead to conflict or upset your partner?
• Do you always do what your partner wants you to do instead of what you want?
• Do you feel emotionally numb or helpless?
• Do you agree to stay with your partner because you are afraid of what your partner would do to you if you broke up?