Victims of emotional abuse are often blind to the actual abuse that is occurring, and their loved ones often observe them trying to bargain with the perpetrator and blaming themselves for whatever problems arise. Many abusers maintain this mirage of false guilt that the victim is feeling by gaslighting them. Gaslighting is an abuse tactic in which someone makes another person feel crazy or deluded for their own perception about what is happening in the relationship.
Key Takeaways:
- Victims of emotional abuse often do not recognize that they are in fact being abused.
- Generally, emotional abuse victims think that they are at fault rather than their abuser.
- If someone is experiencing issues in their relationship that could be emotional abuse, they should seek out the support of a therapist.
“For the victim of emotional abuse, the first and most devastating effect is the inability to recognize that one is being emotionally abused.”