Emotional abuse can come from a partner, family member or close friend and the scars it leaves are profound. The difference between physical and emotional abuse is that the bruises of verbal abuse are not visible, though they can be just as painful. You have got to take the time, make an effort and be willing/open enoughto heal from that abuse if you ever plan on regaining your self-worth/esteem. Therapy goes a long way in helping you take the steps to rebuild your confidence and get back up on life.
Understanding Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse occurs when a person tries to control someone using an aggressive behaviour, including manipulation, humiliation or constant critique that delimits the very sense of self. The victims may feel diminished, disrespected and to some extent powerlessness that actually leaves them questioning their own value and capabilities. This can happen in any type of relationship; family, romantic or a professional dynamic.
Emotional abuse is so insidious because over time, it chips away at an individual’s self-worth. The abuser may use all sorts of power and control tactics such as gaslighting (making the victim question their reality) or they may engage in some subtle forms of violence that could range from being called names, demeaned or even subjected to silent treatment.
The areas where emotional abuse would leave scars were:
- Needy/insecure — low self-esteem and sense of worth
- Anxiety and depression
- Difficulty trusting others
- Guilt, shame, and self-blame
- People pleasing circuitry
The first step to recovery is understanding these effects. Where awareness is where you are able to take action in healing & becoming the person I know YOU DESERVE TO LIVE AS.
Acknowledging the Impact of Emotional Abuse
Realizing that emotional abuse is the reality:Apart from other things, acceptance of being abused emotionally holds vital significance during healing stage. It’s hard for most to recognize a loved one or someone you trust was emotionally abusive. The typical reaction of a victim is to think it was their fault — and, in some cases, somehow believe that they deserve this behavior.
Being honest that the ex sold you this lie about yourself and want to packs full of resentments is extremely important because it was not your fault, its abuse makes good with. This is the unmasking that leads you through recovery; it makes you ask for help and support.
It helps to unpack the abuse you were subjected to in a safe environment. Through shadow work, you can reveal how these behaviors and patterns contributed to your low self-worth and fight against the demons in your head.
The Role of Therapy in Healing from Emotional Abuse
On the surface, learning how to regain your sense of worth after emotional abuse might feel overwhelming but therapy offers concrete steps and support in this endeavor. Therapy helps you to heal the emotional damage and teaches you how to say no as well, so that in the end,you establish healthier patterns for relationships. Above all, therapy can restore that self-love and confidence to you.
The following are some of the key areas that therapy can help in healing from:
Unpacking the Trauma
Victims of emotional abuse can be helped by therapists who specialize in it. With talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral or trauma-focused interventions, they assist you in identifying themergences of the abuse as well as its impact on your self-esteem. Therapy is a place to say your brain makes you suffer where manipulation and abuse exist side-by-side with love in the same body so no wonder it feels like nothing & everything; or how fear tastes sickly sweet on defenseless skin when swollen lips of double bind logic its still my fault I wasn’t good enough yet always hurtful somehow too much…
Rebuilding Confidence
Victims of Emotional Abuse, experience a lot guilt or shame in the toxic relationship always feeling not good enough and self-doubting. The good news is that therapy will work to replace these negative thoughts with positive affirmations. See also: 3 Cognitive Restructuring Exercises to Get Your Mind Right and Trade MeAgainstMyself learn how to have a healthier, velocity-building internal conversation左SetActive Minds
Getting there does take time, but therapy has never been anything less than a celebration of trying to build your confidence one baby step at a time every bit helps, even if it’s only saying “no” in place of being forced into fulfilling unreasonable requests or reminding yourself you are allowed the satisfaction that so obviously comes with exhibiting skills. Therapy helps you feel competent and self- confident by setting realistic goals.
Learning to Set Boundaries
One of the side effects from emotional abuse is lack of boundary setting. Those abused may deal with people-pleasing behavior, having a hard time saying no to others or putting their own needs first. One goal of therapy is to learn how to establish and maintain healthy boundaries.
This means practicing the art of saying no, speaking assertively and maintaining healthy mental and emotional boundaries. Healthy boundaries empower you to build relationships around mutual respect, rather than rely on power and control or manipulation.
Building Self-Compassion
It is normal for victims of emotional abuse to feel like it was their fault or that there is something intrinsically wrong with them, when they are not treated well. Therapy can help you learn self-compassion by showing yourself kindness, and maybe even forgiving your own perceived faults.
This is where exercises such as journaling, meditation and self-affirmations come in handy that help enhance the same resilience yet make you feel whole within. This form of roving self-compassion is a core part in the restoration of our ego.
Reconnecting with Your True Self
Emotional abuse can rob individuals of their identity. Victims may no longer feel they have the right to pursue their desires, engage in hobbies or even adhere to core values as they are now an entity of what was once needed and wanted from them. Therapy can help you find yourself and bring back the parts of who you were that have been set aside during the time with your abuser.
Reconnecting with the things you loved: Reinvest in hobbies that were part of your life before but had to be forgotten because of the abusive relationship. Painting, writing, hiking or being with friends more, returning things you once loved can be a good way to reconnect with your sense of self-worth and joy.
Creating New Relationships: Recovering from emotional abuse means you will have to learn how to trust someone with your emotions again. Through therapy, you learn to form healthier and more nurturing relationships with friends, family or an intimate partner. Surrounding yourself with those you mutually regard, will leverage your self-confidence.
Building a positive self image: Emotional abuse creates an unrealistic sense of the person in question, about themselves to feel unimportant or insignificant. Therapy aims to reformulate this cracked sense of self through highlighting the positive aspects of your being, such as strengths and accomplishments. Over time, you will reclaim a good sense of self-worththinking that even you really do deserve to be loved and respected.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Restoring your self-worth after the emotional abuse you suffered is a journey but take advantage of this information to recover and live again. Therapy helps you not only to work through past trauma, but also to acquire the tools necessary for your future resilience. You will learn to be confident, love on yourself and make better choices in relationships.
Therapy is a great starting point for anyone that has been in an emotionally abusive relationship and wants to take the first step towards healing. At All in the Family Counselling, we offer services for emotional abuse recovery and support you with compassionate understanding to help regain control over your life. Our therapists are committed to hearing your full story, supporting you and guiding you towards a more confident and empowered version of yourself.
Healing is a process and it requires time to heal but each step you take forward will bring you closure in your self-worth fight towards the life, which was yours. Never be afraid to ask for help, you don’t have to do this alone.
Through therapy and self-care, the resilience of your heart will prevail over a history which taught you to reject yourself for love… through long-smoked ruin new sight emerges: we survive. Get in touch today to begin your healing and growth process.
