Emotional Abuse

At times, my stepfather was so physically violent that I feared one of us might die.

Yet, the physical abuse we survived at the hands of my stepfather paled in comparison to the long-term emotional damage I sustained from my mother. Each time I approached her for protection from Ed, she blamed me. She pulled me aside harshly with the words, “Why do I always have this trouble with you; only you – never the boys? You are sick, and a crazy troublemaker! Stop trying to make trouble and learn to get along.”

Mom’s words left me feeling useless and defeated.

Long after physical injuries heal, the effects of emotional abuse linger into and sometimes throughout adulthood. Emotional abuse is harder to explain and more difficult to identify because it leaves no physical scars, but rather is hidden away, ravaging our hearts and our souls.

One of the best articles I have read on the effects of emotional abuse is an article titled, You Carry the Cure in Your Own Heart, by Andrew Vachss.

This is an excellent article for abuse survivors, and for those dealing with or helping abuse survivors.