People will tell you that emotional abuse isnât real and what youâre dealing with isnât that big a deal and youâre just exaggerating, but let me tell you something.
If youâve ever been wary of everyone you know, even people you trust, because youâre expecting them to get angry with you over literally anything, make fun of you, or start making threats, somethingâs wrong.
If youâve ever had to plan things in anticipation of a potential tantrum that you fear will be taken out on you, somethingâs wrong.
If you succumb to someoneâs demands because youâre never sure if their threats are empty or legit and you just want to play it on the safe side, somethingâs wrong.
If you find yourself jumping at smaller noises in anticipation that theyâre a warning sign for a tantrum, somethingâs wrong.
If you hide things - especially things that make you happy - because youâre so afraid that theyâll make fun of you for liking them, scold you for liking something they donât, take them away, destroy them, or that theyâll defile them and ruin that love you have for them, somethingâs wrong.
If you find yourself being silent in the face of mild disagreements or thinly-veiled insults, rather than standing up for yourself because you just donât want to start an argument and make things worse, somethingâs wrong.
If that very lack of standing up for yourself eventually leads to you never offering your opinion in any sort of discussion out of fear of ridicule or being scolded because thatâs what youâre so used to, somethingâs wrong.
If you end up spending a lot of your time in your room keeping to yourself and keeping any trip outside of your room to an absolute minimum because you donât want to risk putting one toe out of line and setting off a tantrum, yet youâre also aware that hiding out will also cause an issue and youâre probably just minimizing the risk instead of erasing it entirely, somethingâs wrong.
If you ever habitually glance outside the window to keep watch for your supposed abuserâs car to return from their work, errand or trip, and then heading to your room or other hiding place to keep out of their way, erasing any obvious signs that youâve been out and about in the rest of your living space, somethingâs wrong.
If one of your greatest fantasies involves not a dream career or winning the lottery but instead an escape plan succeeding, somethingâs wrong.
If you could basically summarize your life as living in constant, subtle fear, Something. Is. Wrong.
Emotional abuse is very, very real, and it has lasting consequences that can affect peopleâs relationships, their jobs, and their lives all-around.
Donât you dare tell me it isnât real.
