Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesImpactSignsCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Impact

Signs

Coping

Mental abuse, also known as psychological oremotional abuse, involves deliberately hurting someone and causing them emotional pain, or trying to control or manipulate them through verbal or non-verbal communication.

Mental abuse can be harder to recognize than physical abuse; however, it can be just as harmful and may lead toemotional scarsand health issues.Furthermore, mental abuse is often a precursor to physical abuse, so it’s important to recognize it and get help as soon as possible.

This article explores the different types of mental abuse, signs that someone is being abused, the impact of mental abuse, and some coping strategies that may be helpful for people who have been abused.

Types of Mental Abuse

These are some of the different types of mental abuse:

The nature of mental abuse can vary across different types of relationships. Intimate partner abuse andchild abuseare among the most common.

Intimate Partner Abuse

You may find yourself making excuses for their behavior, thinking it’s your fault, or feeling embarrassed or foolish for entering into a relationship with them. However, it’s important to remember that being abused is not your fault.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.If you are in immediate danger, call911. For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Child Abuse

These are some examples of whatmental abuse of childrencan look like:

Child abusecan sometimes be hard to detect, making it hard for people to recognize it and help the child.

Children who grow up in abusive or violent households may believe that it’s a normal way for family members to treat each other and in turn display abusive and violent tendencies in school or in intimate relationships as adults.

If you are a victim of child abuse or know someone who might be, call or text theChildhelp National Child Abuse Hotlineat1-800-422-4453to speak with a professional crisis counselor.

Impact of Mental Abuse

Being in abusive situation can cause you to:

Mental abuse can affect yourself-esteem, concentration, stress levels, ability to sleep, mood, and ability to function.In the long run, it can lead to physical and mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.

Signs of Mental Abuse

These are some of the signs that someone is being emotionally abused:

Signs Your Child May Be Struggling With Mental Health Issues

Coping With Mental Abuse

These are some strategies that can help you if you are or have been in an abusive situation:

9 Ways to Help a Victim of Domestic Violence

A Word From Verywell

Mental abuse doesn’t leave cuts and bruises but it can cause deep emotional wounds as well as physical and mental health issues that can take time to heal. It can be helpful to seektherapyor join a support group in order to develop coping mechanisms and connect with others who have faced similar experiences.

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.Types and signs of abuse.Iram Rizvi SF, Najam N.Parental psychological abuse toward children and mental health problems in adolescence.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(2):256-260.Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: The role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Emotional and verbal abuse.National Library of Medicine.Child neglect and emotional abuse.Medline Plus.Nemours Foundation.Abuse.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.Types and signs of abuse.Iram Rizvi SF, Najam N.Parental psychological abuse toward children and mental health problems in adolescence.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(2):256-260.Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: The role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Emotional and verbal abuse.National Library of Medicine.Child neglect and emotional abuse.Medline Plus.Nemours Foundation.Abuse.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.Types and signs of abuse.Iram Rizvi SF, Najam N.Parental psychological abuse toward children and mental health problems in adolescence.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(2):256-260.Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: The role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Emotional and verbal abuse.National Library of Medicine.Child neglect and emotional abuse.Medline Plus.Nemours Foundation.Abuse.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.Types and signs of abuse.

Iram Rizvi SF, Najam N.Parental psychological abuse toward children and mental health problems in adolescence.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(2):256-260.

Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: The role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Emotional and verbal abuse.

National Library of Medicine.Child neglect and emotional abuse.Medline Plus.

Nemours Foundation.Abuse.

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