Off The Record
Here’s What You Didn’t Know About The Connection Between Verbal Abuse And Anxiety
Traumatic experiences are the cause of most mental illnesses. Sufferers of long term mental abuse often tend to show signs of mental illnesses like depression an anxiety.
Unfortunately, most people tend to disregard verbal abuse as a legitimate form of abuse, and those who face it constantly run the risk of developing anxiety.
Simply because of how stigmatized verbal abuse is, and how often it is overlooked, it is probably one of the worst forms of abuse, with the long term effects in victims being just as bad as with any other forms of abuse.
Why verbal abuse is the worst form of abuse?
Science shows that verbal abuse, unlike most other forms of abuse, affects both the hemispheres of the brain. If someone has been dealing with it for a very long time, or since early childhood, the trauma can cause numerous physical and mental problems. In fact, verbal abuse is so bad for children, that it can actually physically alter the shape of a child’s brain. This has lasting effects on the child, making their brain go into a permanent survival mode to deal with the extreme stress, and can cause a number of mental disorders, tendency to abuse substance, delinquency, anger issues and other social problems.
Emotional Abuse vs. Verbal Abuse
Emotional and verbal abuse have closely related effects on individuals since one of them usually causes the other. This combined effect causes lasting psychological damage, and more often than not, victims tend to have low self confidence and self-esteem. The constant trauma affects the emotional well-being of the abused person, and results in severe anxiety, which tends to interfere with the victim’s life.
Symptoms of Short-term Anxiety:
– Difficulty in making decisions
– Over-thinking even trivial issues
– Severe lack of self-esteem
– Lack of enthusiasm for life
Symptoms of Chronic Anxiety:
– Issues with digestion
– Severe migraines
– Chronic pain in the body
– Depression
– Anxiety
– Suicidal tendencies
– Eating disorders
– Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
If you find your loved ones or acquaintances showing any of the symptoms listed above, it might be a good idea to keep a close eye on them and be there for them so that they may be able to overcome their pain.
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Signs of verbal abuse
Verbal abuse has some tell-tale signs. Some of these are listed below:
1. Name calling
Verbal abusers tend to use name calling as their chief manipulation tactic. This particular method is extremely dangerous and damaging for the abused person and can cause their self-esteem to hit rock-bottom.
2. Isolation
Verbal abuse usually takes place where it is unlikely to be witnessed by other people. Because of the secretive nature, the abused often feels isolated, and may even begin to think that their trauma is imagined.
3. Constant down-talking
Verbal abusers tend to degrade their victims constantly. They criticize and trivialize their hard work and achievements constantly, leaving them with no motivation, and no sense of purpose in life. The constant criticism affects their sense of self as well, weakening their confidence.
4. Controlling
Abusers are extremely controlling, and when they see their victims being happy, they can feel like they are losing that control. This does not sit well with them, and they choose that moment to undermine their victims and ruin their mood.
5. Attacking interests
Abusers tend to make fun of their victim’s hobbies and interests, making them feel small and worthless and thus attacking their sense of self-respect.
6. Never apologizing
Abusers firmly believe that they are always in the right, and that it is their victims who are in the wrong. For this reason, they never feel the need to apologize for their behavior. They never take the blame for anything.
Start a Better Life Right Now by Reading:
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