It can be extremely difficult to recognize abuse, especially when one is blinded by love and forgiveness. While being sympathetic and agreeable are great aspects to a healthy relationship, sometimes it becomes easy to get stuck in a situation where you realize you just aren’t happy anymore but may not be sure what to do.
This page attempts to describe a few characteristics of emotionally abusive men and in no particular order, they are as follows:
- Emotionally abusive men are typically the type of men who always need to be in control.
- They will become jealous and possessive without reason and have mood swings that seem to come out of nowhere.
- These men will manipulate by saying things like ‘you’re crazy’ so they don’t have to take the blame for their actions.
- Emotional abuse typically rears its head in the form of an imbalance in power; warning signs may be a feeling that your life isn’t being fulfilled or you ‘never can get a word in.’
- Abusers of all types like to ‘put you in your place’ by making you feel as though you cannot find anyone else.
- It is very common for abusers to check your private emails and social networking sites without asking and then become angry when they find something they think is ‘evidence’ of cheating.
- Sometimes recognizing the difference between an abusive and a healthy relationship takes therapy, not just for the abuser but for the person being abused, as well.
- Even if you did something ‘hurtful’, ‘mean’, or ‘wrong’, this does not make it okay for someone to abuse you. This also very common with abusive men.
- Intentionally hurting someone else’s’ feelings or trying to embarrass them is a form of abuse, because it puts them in a position where they may be viewed as less valuable.
- They may set out to punish you in several ways.
- They are completely disrespectful and completely disregard your rights, feelings and opinions.
- They have a recurring history of abuse in the relationships they’ve had.
- What may start as verbal abuse can over time become physical abuse, if the issues are not resolved.
Keep in mind, there is a big difference between emotional abuse and arguments; disagreements happen in any healthy relationship, its how each party reacts to them that makes the difference.
Note:
Domestic violence is not acceptable and should not be tolerated whether the victim is male or female. Every person has the right to live a life free from violence.
If you are in an abusive relationship and requires an urgent response or needs in-depth support please contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.