Emotional/Mental Abuse is the hidden killer. There are no visible marks when it comes to this kind of abuse. Instead, it kills self-confidence and robs the victim of their sense of power.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emotional/mental violence, "... involves trauma to the victim caused by acts, threats of acts, or coercive tactics. Psychological/emotional abuse can include, but is not limited to, humiliating the victim, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information from the victim, deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from friends and family, and denying the victim access to money or other basic resources."
There are many different methods that abusers use to dominate their victims. The following instances are just a couple of ways in which emotional/mental abuse occurs:
Verbal Aggression
Usually setting the tone of the relationship, verbal aggression is the way in which the abuser lets the victim know who is "in charge". They are sure to communicate who has the power early on, eroding the other person's self-worth over the course of the relationship.
"After a while, she just started introducing me as, "My husband, the ass". When I asked her why, she replied that was all I was to her. When I asked her how she would feel if I introduced her as "the bitch", she said I wasn't allowed to do that because it was abuse. I asked how it was any different, she said, "You're a man. You can't be a victim." - Roger
Expressions of Jealousy
Keeping track of the victim's movements, unfounded accusations of infidelity, and/or openly flaunting one's own indiscretions are earmarks of an abusive level of jealousy.
Verbal Aggression
Usually setting the tone of the relationship, verbal aggression is the way in which the abuser lets the victim know who is "in charge". They are sure to communicate who has the power early on, eroding the other person's self-worth over the course of the relationship.
"After a while, she just started introducing me as, "My husband, the ass". When I asked her why, she replied that was all I was to her. When I asked her how she would feel if I introduced her as "the bitch", she said I wasn't allowed to do that because it was abuse. I asked how it was any different, she said, "You're a man. You can't be a victim." - Roger
Expressions of Jealousy
Keeping track of the victim's movements, unfounded accusations of infidelity, and/or openly flaunting one's own indiscretions are earmarks of an abusive level of jealousy.
Take for instance the song "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. The lyrics state that her boyfriend is probably cheating on her. For this, she states she did destroy his vehicle. Would this song have been nearly as popular if a man sang this song about a woman possibly cheating on him?