There are different types of abuse, and it’s essential to know if you’re a victim of this harmful behavior. Abuse is the intentional mistreatment of someone. Whether it’s physical, sexual, financial, or emotional, abuse can harm the victim. If you’re being abused, it’s crucial to reach out for help. Abuse is a traumatic experience that one needs to heal from in life. Before you can start that journey, you have to know the signs and symptoms of abuse to get the help you need.
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Signs of Emotional Abuse
When it comes to emotional abuse, it’s tricky to determine if you’re being emotionally abused. It can be hard for others to know about the mistreatment because emotional abusers are adept at hiding their behavior. It is important to know what signs to look for so you can get help if you’re a victim or help someone else if you notice the symptoms.
Harsh Criticism – One sign of emotional abuse is that an individual is highly critical towards a victim. They might put the person down in front of others or humiliate or embarrass them.
Cruel mocking -They’re sarcastic towards the victim, and when the abused calls them out, the abuser says they were joking.
Violation of boundaries – Another sign of emotional abuse is disrespecting boundaries. They could read their victim’s journal or check their phone and read their messages as a method of power and control.
Manipulation – An abuser gives affection and abruptly takes it away. An abuser guilt trips the abused to make them feel bad about themselves and keep their victim in the cycle of abuse.
Gaslighting – Another instance of emotional abuse is gaslighting. The abuser makes their victim question their perception of events or what they think is “real.” The abuser denies that abuse happened or pretends they didn’t do anything wrong.
These are some signs of emotional abuse.
Signs of Physical Abuse
Physical abuse can be easier to spot than emotional abuse; however, sometimes abusers hurt their victims in areas where it’s hard for others to see. For example, an abuser might harm their victim on their arms, but they wear long sleeves to cover up the bruising or scars. The signs of physical abuse are:
- Cuts
- Bruises
- Burns
- Gripping marks
- Black eyes
- An unusual injury pattern
- Frequent trips to the emergency room or hospital
There are also signs of physical abuse that you may not associate with it. The less common symptoms are social isolation, urinary tract infections, unwanted pregnancies, substance abuse. Physical abuse can be extremely dangerous. It’s essential to understand the signs and symptoms find help with a domestic violence organization.
Signs of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is a severe form of mistreatment where the abuser harms the victim with unwanted sexual activity, whether assault, touching, or molesting someone too young to consent. Children who have been sexually abused display their symptoms in unique ways.
Signs of sexual abuse can differ in children than adults. In children or teens, these signs are:
- Acting younger than they
- Gravitate toward safe activities that remind them of the time before they were abused
- Fear of being touched
- Poor performance in school
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Substance abuse
- Self-harm
- Stomach aches
- Playing with private parts
- Genital bleeding
- Frequent urinary tract infections
In adults, the symptoms are similar to young people but can include more signs. They include:
- Fear of being touched
- Self-harm
- Substance abuse
- Hyper-sexuality
- Fear of sex
- Emotional outbursts
- Panic attacks
- Difficulty concentrating
- Aversions to certain people, places, smells, or sounds
- Hypervigilance
There are some overlapping symptoms between adults and children who have been sexually abused. Sometimes children don’t identify that they’ve been sexually abused until later in life. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse may have trouble remembering what happened to them, mainly if the abuse occurred when they were younger than four years old. Regardless of what age someone experienced sexual abuse, it’s crucial to believe their story.
Believe the Victims
When a person comes forward and says they’ve been sexually abused, it’s crucial to believe them. Survivors need to heal, and part of that healing process is revealing what happened to them. They need people to trust that their words are truthful because abusers can invalidate their experiences. A survivor of sexual abuse can benefit from talking to a compassionate mental health professional who believes in their story.
Get Help
When you’re being abused, it’s crucial to reach out for help, but that isn’t always easy. Talk to a friend, family member, or loved one you trust. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence hotline here. You can call 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) and get help. A trained counselor can provide you with the support you need to get out of your abusive relationship and start living a safe and happy life. Remember, there’s always hope. When it comes to living a happy and healthy life, abuse has no part in that. You deserve to be treated with love and respect, and that starts with getting out of an abusive situation.
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