Recovering from Emotional Abuse in Bastrop, TX—Therapy and Counseling
Emotional abuse can occur in many different types of relationships: at work, within religious communities, among friends, between spouses, from parent to child, and more. When people are emotionally abused, they often feel…
- Scared of their perpetrator.
- As if they are walking on egg shells.
- Helpless.
- That everything they do is wrong.
- Scared to talk about their own feelings and thoughts.
- Depression.
- As if they do not matter.
- Responsible for how their perpetrator is acting.
- Crazy.
Emotional abuse is never loving, and in certain instances, it may be against the law. If you think you may be or have been emotionally abused, know that many support systems are available for you, and one of the best ways to recover from emotional abuse is counseling.
That is why Thriveworks Bastrop offers counseling for emotional abuse. Our therapists understand the personal hell that is emotional abuse and the challenges of recovering.
Describing Emotional Abuse
All relationships have tiffs and disagreements. These are signs of healthy individuality within a relationship when they are carried out with respect. Emotional abuse, in contrast, is a pattern of control that uses emotional manipulation to gain dominance over another person.
Emotional abuse can be very subtle, but its harm is never subtle. Examples often help people to understand the seriousness of these destructive behaviors. Emotionally abusive actions may involve…
- Threatening, intimidating, or guilting to achieve a desired outcome.
- Gaslighting.
- Angry explosions or random fits of moodiness that keep others on edge.
- Ignoring or degrading another’s experience, perspective, and/or feelings.
- Without permission, throwing away or harming another’s prized possessions.
- Denying access (that should reasonably be provided) to vital resources such as food, transportation, health care, and/or money.
- Displaying jealous or possessive behavior.
- Accusing falsely.
- Objectifying others.
- Holding back love and affection to control another (If you don’t…I won’t …)
- Isolating someone from their loved ones.
- Openly mocking, shaming, humiliating, embarrassing, criticizing, or name-calling.
- Refusing to accept responsibility for their own actions.
Men and women, young and old, wealthy and poor—emotional abuse can happen to anyone. It often begins subtly and escalates as victims become desensitized to their poor treatment. For example, if someone did not see the pattern of abuse, many of the isolated behaviors of gaslighting seem relatively normal, possibly even harmless.
The term, “gaslight,” comes from the 1940s movie of the same name, starring Ingrid Bergman. In one scene, Bergman’s character sees the gaslights flicker. Her emotionally abusive husbands pretends he did not see the lights dim and brighten. Without knowing the pattern, many people may dismiss the scene as a small disagreement among spouses—no big deal. However, the movie shows the bigger picture. The argument about the gaslights is one of many similar scenarios where the husband undermines his wife’s trust in her experiences. She slowly breaks down because she does not know what is real and what is not.
The end game of emotional abuse is control. Feeling become weapons to take control of another person.
Vibrant, healthy relationships respect each individual’s freedom, and people often flourish. Control and domination, in contrast, severely wound. Victims of emotional abuse often experience depression, fear, hyper-vigilance, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, fear, substance abuse, psychosomatic pain, and more.
Emotional Abuse Recovery
The wounds that emotional abuse inflicts are not visible, but they are very real. Just as people recovering from physical injury may need the help of a physician to heal, so many people who have survived emotional abuse need to see a mental health professional to heal. With a therapist’s help and support, many people learn…
- They do not deserve the abuse—no one deserves abuse.
- Their perpetrator is responsible for the decision to harm.
- The injuries are deep and real.
- It is possible to heal from trauma—difficult but worth it.
- Their emotional and physical safety is important.
- How to grieve and let go of the harm they experienced.
- Their voice, opinion, and feelings matter.
- They are worthy of healthy relationships.
Counseling at Thriveworks Bastrop
The counselors at Thriveworks Bastrop can see the invisible wounds that emotional abuse causes, and we have helped many people find healing and hope as they recover. We want our clients to know that they did not deserve to be abused.
From the first time people call our office, we hope they feel cared for and valued. That’s why we have a person who answers our phones—not a voicemail and not an automated response system. Many new clients see their therapist within 24 hours of their call. We also make evening and weekend appointments available, and we accept many forms of insurance.
We are ready to guide, support, and encourage. If you are ready for a mental health professional to join you on your recover from emotional abuse, call Thriveworks Bastrop today or book your first session online to get started.
