Symptoms of mental abuse include efforts of one person to control another through constant criticism and belittling, making threats of physical abuse or withdrawal of love, safety or financial support, and efforts to isolate the victim from friends or family. Mental abuse tends over time to affect the victim`s self-confidence so adversely that (s)he may become less and less able to act on his/her own behalf, and may come to believe that the abusive behavior is his/her own fault.
Mental Abuse in Relationships
Mental abuse, or emotional abuse, often occurs in relationships that are plagued by domestic violence. A mother may mentally abuse her children by guilt tripping, controlling, or manipulating them. A husband may mentally abuse his wife by restricting her social relationships and previewing her outfits each day. Mental abuse is just as devastating and harmful as physical abuse, it is just more difficult to spot. Many victims of mental abuse downplay its negative effects, or are not even aware that it is going on. While the cycle of mental abuse is difficult to stop, resources exist to help you. Ask your doctor for help if you do not know where to turn.
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answeredTherapy is an option for trauma caused by emotional abuse:-Sometimes, those closest to you are unable or unwilling to talk about what's wrong, offer unhelpful advice, or are too much a part of your problem to assist you. Even when you have good support from people who care for you, you may still want additional help or a fresh perspective. If so, it is useful to explore the option of therapy.
Choosing therapy is not a sign of weakness, as some people believe; nor is it "putting your business out where everyone can see."Therapists owe legal obligation to a client to keep confidential all that goes on in therapy. Moreover, you don't have to be concerned about protecting a therapist's feelings, as you might with a close friend or family member, and may thus feel free to talk.
Many mental health professionals assume that emotional distress, especially in a woman, requires medication, psychotherapy, or both. It helps to find a therapist who focuses not only on your problems but also on your strengths and resources, which are your essential raw materials for coping. Good caregivers recognize that even women who experience such traumas as sexual abuse in childhood or rape have the capacity for resilience. They also recognize the importance of holding abusers responsible, so that women are less likely to feel guilty or blame themselves for these traumas.
Therapy sessions facilitated by a mental health professional may occur one-on-one or in a couple, family, or group setting. Therapy involves an exchange between the client and the therapist. Through these discussions, you can seek to experience and express your feelings, understand your emotional life more fully, tell your story and possibly rethink it to come to a new understanding of your history. You can learn about your inner strengths, think about your concerns in various contexts (personal, interpersonal, and societal), explore possible solutions for current life problems, and learn better ways to communicate your needs.