EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Some forms of abuse, such as sexual or physical abuse, have very clear signs but when someone is being emotionally abused it isn’t immediately obvious to anyone around them or even themselves what is going on. Even in today’s progressive society, emotional abuse is often unidentified or misunderstood.

Emotional abuse at its very core is about one person in a relationship, whether that be parent/child or two intimate partners, manipulating or controlling the other by using behaviour that causes a negative emotional response in the victim, such as anxiety, fear or guilt. The constant threat of this negative response is what allows the abuser to have power over and keep control of their victim. Emotional abuse can have a severe effect on a victim’s self-esteem and can result in the victim losing confidence and trust in themselves and others.

Emotional abuse can take many forms, including the following:

  • Verbal threats and intimidation—insulting, name-calling or threatening physical violence.
  • Continued criticism—constantly questioning victim’s decisions and putting them down frequently, often disguised as jokes.
  • Gaslighting—repeatedly denying the victim’s accounts of what happened or what was said until the victim begins to doubt their own memory and perception of reality and starts relying on the abuser to tell them the ‘truth’.
  • Rejection—continued insults and behaviour that lowers the self-esteem of the victim making them feel unwanted and unloved.
  • Isolation—denying or limiting the victim’s contact with friends, loved ones or even mainstream society.
  • Victim blaming—making the victim feel that any bad things that happen or wrongdoings to them, be that physical, sexual or emotional abuse, are their fault.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE?

Emotional abuse is often subtle, unrecognised or denied by the abuser and victim so it can be difficult to tell when it is taking place.

There are many signs of emotional abuse to look out for, including the following:

  • Exhibiting jealous behaviour—becoming jealous of the victim spending time with others and not wanting them of their sight. Usually the jealousy seems irrational and over the top.
  • Keeping track of victim’s time and whereabouts—continually checking up on where they are and what they are doing. Can be linked to jealous behaviour.
  • Monitoring victim’s mobile calls or texts and/or emails—looking at the victim’s phone messages or emails when they think the victim won’t notice. Listening in on phone calls and negatively influencing what the victim says or writes to others
  • Controlling how and when the victim spends their money—the abuser may constantly monitor the victim’s bank account and tell them not to spend their money on things they know the victim needs
  • Denying affection—a parent may withhold hugs and expressions of love to a child or in an intimate relationship a partner may deny sex and intimacy to control them
  • Loss of friends or strained relationships—because the abuser may control the victim’s time and exposure to others, the victim may lose touch with friends or loved ones

HOW COMMON IS EMOTIONAL ABUSE?

Due to the lack of awareness and proper understanding of emotional abuse by abusers, victims and society in general, it is difficult to tell how common emotional abuse actually is. The media draws considerable attention to cases of sexual and physical abuse due to their more obvious nature and immediate impact on the victim, while instances of emotional abuse aren’t treated as seriously. This is likely due to the subtler and more complex nature of emotional abuse. This frequent media exposure to the more visual, immediate forms of abuse can give people the impression that emotional abuse is less common.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?

The reasons why someone would emotionally abuse another person can be complex and not immediately obvious to the victim but they can include the following:

  • Low self-esteem
  • Lack of empathy for others
  • Jealousy and envy
  • Stress
  • Raised by emotionally abusive parents
  • A personality disorder. Disorders related to emotional abuse include narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder

How Can Brain Training Australia™ Help?

At Brain Training Australia™ we use Neurofeedback Brain Training to help our clients suffering from Emotional Abuse.

Work With the Natural Healthcare Professionals.

The Brain Training Australia™ has a great deal of experience in helping their clients dealing with emotional abuse, feelings and other associated mental health concerns. We have a wide range of psychological and neurofeedback brain training modalities at our disposal. Our team will listen to you, talk with you, and then design an effective plan to cater for your specific needs.

Let us help you. Here is how to get started.

Your first step is to get in contact with us.

All new clients receive a free, complementary and no obligation 15-minute face-to-face Complementary Assessment with a dedicated member of our team. If you’re on the fence, wondering if Neurofeedback Brain Training is right for you, then this is a really good place to start.

If you are ready to get started then you can just book in your First Appointment and get started straight away.

The team at Brain Training Australia™ recognise the unique qualities of all our clients and will work closely with you to personalise your Brain Training Program so that you can achieve your goals of optimal mental processes.

We look forward to helping you live a much richer, happier and healthier life.