How Staying In An Emotionally Abusive Relationship Can Literally Give You PTSD
Sometimes you cannot understand why someone wants to stay in a bad relationship, even though they forced themself to leave. Living with an emotionally abusive lover can be a traumatic experience and it can cause serious trauma.
When going out on a first date, men do not show their true selves. They try to show the best of them and will make a girl feel like she is the only one in the world. Men pay attention to every word a girl says and try to do everything she wants just to have her.
As months and years pass, some red flags may start to show up. They can hit like a train, and you can never be prepared for such pain. Constant put-downs, criticisms or other forms the emotional abuse can be experienced. They have a serious impact on the nervous system and can put down self-esteem. Experiencing such trauma doesn’t have to link with physical abuse. Words are the weapons that can harm you.
What is worse, they don’t want to admit it. Insulting can be part of everyday life, repeating like a broken record. What’s more, remembering the abusive moments can elicit negative emotions, negative thoughts about oneself and physical sensations, many years later after the abuse has occurred. Those people who continue to experience problems like these may be diagnosed with PTSD.
PTSD symptoms can be too serious. They can disrupt one’s life and make it hard to finish their daily activities. Sufferers sometimes tend to relive the event, bringing back memories along with fear and horror of intensity equal to those felt during the triggering event. The way sufferers see themselves as well as other people can also be affected. Being hurt like that it’s hard to trust others. What is more terrifying, people with PTSD are at an undoubtedly higher risk of suicide.
This type of PTSD is called complex post-traumatic stress disorder or C-PTSD. It can be caused by chronic or long term exposure to emotional trauma which the victim cannot control or escape from it. The “complex” in PTSD describes how one layer of trauma can interact with another.
In the case of an emotionally damaging relationship, victims may feel worthless or isolated because of their partner’s constant put-downs. They can be financially dependent on their abusers, making them helpless in such a situation. Lastly, they feel depressed and completely worn out from waiting on another attack.
Victims need to find their voice and try to leave the toxic relationship. Many psychologists suggest several stages that are most effective in the treatment of PTSD. Stabilization, determination and developing self-care protection skills can be very helpful. Also, bringing the trauma to the surface and processing it will let the victim deal with the problem and finally let go.
Victims of PTSD from an emotionally abusive relationship are not alone. Dealing with such trauma is exhausting but there is always a way out. They need to find the strength to leave the relationship an go on with their lives. Victims can search for help from their friends, family or ask for the professional help from psychiatrists.