People will tell you that emotional abuse isnāt real and what youāre dealing with isnāt that big a deal and youāre just exaggerating, but let me tell you something.
If youāve ever been wary of everyone you know, even people you trust, because youāre expecting them to get angry with you over literally anything, make fun of you, or start making threats, somethingās wrong.
If youāve ever had to plan things in anticipation of a potential tantrum that you fear will be taken out on you, somethingās wrong.
If you succumb to someoneās demands because youāre never sure if their threats are empty or legit and you just want to play it on the safe side, somethingās wrong.
If you find yourself jumping at smaller noises in anticipation that theyāre a warning sign for a tantrum, somethingās wrong.
If you hide things - especially things that make you happy - because youāre so afraid that theyāll make fun of you for liking them, scold you for liking something they donāt, take them away, destroy them, or that theyāll defile them and ruin that love you have for them, somethingās wrong.
If you find yourself being silent in the face of mild disagreements or thinly-veiled insults, rather than standing up for yourself because you just donāt want to start an argument and make things worse, somethingās wrong.
If that very lack of standing up for yourself eventually leads to you never offering your opinion in any sort of discussion out of fear of ridicule or being scolded because thatās what youāre so used to, somethingās wrong.
If you end up spending a lot of your time in your room keeping to yourself and keeping any trip outside of your room to an absolute minimum because you donāt want to risk putting one toe out of line and setting off a tantrum, yet youāre also aware that hiding out will also cause an issue and youāre probably just minimizing the risk instead of erasing it entirely, somethingās wrong.
If you ever habitually glance outside the window to keep watch for your supposed abuserās car to return from their work, errand or trip, and then heading to your room or other hiding place to keep out of their way, erasing any obvious signs that youāve been out and about in the rest of your living space, somethingās wrong.
If one of your greatest fantasies involves not a dream career or winning the lottery but instead an escape plan succeeding, somethingās wrong.
If you could basically summarize your life as living in constant, subtle fear, Something. Is. Wrong.
Emotional abuse is very, very real, and it has lasting consequences that can affect peopleās relationships, their jobs, and their lives all-around.
Donāt you dare tell me it isnāt real.
