Abuse isn’t always physical. It’s not only about how many times they hit you or how much physical pain was inflicted.
Abuse can be a lot more than that …
What are the Types of Abuse?
If you’re unsure whether you’re being controlled by abuse or not, going through these types of abuse may make things clear:
Physical Abuse
We all know about this one. Hitting, kicking, punching, strangling, or making a person feel physically unsafe in any other way is a form of physical abuse that’s usually done to control the one being abused.
Verbal Abuse
Verbal or emotional abuse often goes unnoticed, and the victim doesn’t realize that he/she is being abused. Blackmailing a person emotionally, lying, being unfaithful, making someone feel stupid or crazy are all ways of verbal abuse that leaves emotional scars for a lifetime.
Sexual Abuse
Since abuse is done to control and gain power over the next person, it can be inflicted through various means, including sex. This involves forced sexual acts, withholding sex, or repeatedly telling the next person they’re not good at it.
Financial Abuse
Gaining power or control over someone financially is a common way abusers abuse. They won’t let you earn your own money or use your credit cards just to have control over you.
Mental Abuse
Commonly known as ‘crazy-making’, mental abuse covers all ways a person can make you feel crazy. They’d repeatedly tell you that you’re going crazy until you start questioning your mental health and become totally dependent on them, even while you’re trying to sleep.
Cultural Abuse
Uttering racial slurs, not letting someone follow their cultural dress code or their faith and threatening to disclose someone’s gender identity are all ways of cultural abuse that you might be going through.
All in all, if you’re in an abusive relationship with someone, they might be inflicting any of the above types of abuse on you, and you need to stand up for yourself before your mental wellbeing is hurt.