Emotional And Sexual Abuse |
Do you feel like you can’t leave the house without your partner berating you? Or that you aren’t smart or self-sufficient enough to leave a parent’s overbearing care? These are signs of an emotionally abusive relationship, and the team at The Green Room Psychological Services Inc. in San Diego, California can help. If you need counseling or encouragement during or after experiencing emotional abuse, call The Green Room Psychological Services Inc. to reserve an appointment today.
Emotional and Sexual Abuse Q & A
What is emotional abuse?
Emotional abuse is a complex issue. If you were emotionally abused, the perpetrator was likely someone who you cared about and who may even care about you. It can be subtle and hard to recognize, or it can be blatantly manipulative. Either way, emotional abuse affects the way you think about yourself and even controls your habits. Soon, your perception of reality changes and you might start to question the truth about the situation and about yourself.
The team at The Green Room Psychological Services Inc. is dedicated to helping you work through your emotional abuse, no matter the dynamic of the abusive relationship or the age you were when it happened. They specialize in treating survivors of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, war trauma, or any combination. They also treat active-duty military members and their unique experiences.
What are some examples of emotionally abusive behavior?
Because emotional abuse affects your thought patterns and your perception of reality, the best way to recognize it is by examining the actions of your abuser. You might be in an emotionally abusive relationship if a romantic partner, a close friend, a family member, or a work colleague if they:
- Undermine or question your opinions or perceptions
- Call you “crazy,” “over-emotional,” or “stupid”
- Expect you to bend over backward for them
- Tell you that your needs are selfish
- Start arguments with you without provocation
- Make fun of you
- Lie about events that you know happened
- Monitor your phone or social media
- Act jealous and try to keep you away from others in your life
The bottom line is that your emotional abuser wants to have control over you. Loved ones may notice the abusive nature of your relationship and encourage you to leave before you even realize that your relationship is problematic.
What should I do if I’m in an emotionally abusive relationship?
If you’re in an emotional relationship, simply leaving often doesn’t feel like a realistic option. But even if you feel like you should stay, you must take steps to leave the situation. The team at The Green Room Psychological Services Inc. offers psychotherapy and counseling to help you work past emotional abuse.
If you’re currently in an emotionally abusive relationship, your provider can help you find the courage and resources to leave. They also help you recover from the lasting effects of the relationship and realize that you can thrive without your abuser.
If you think you may be in an emotionally abusive relationship, call The Green Room Psychological Services Inc. to reserve an appointment today.
Emotional and Sexual Abuse Q & A
What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse is sexual activity of any kind during which one participant, the victim, is unwilling or unable to consent. There are many other actions that fall into the category of sexual abuse. They include:
- Inappropriate, unwanted touching
- Child molestation
- Rape or attempted rape
- Unwanted penetration of any kind
- Incest
- Exhibitionism (flashing one’s private areas)
- Voyeurism (spying on others’ private sexual acts)
Some types of sexual abuse, like exhibitionism or voyeurism, don’t involve any touching at all. But this doesn’t mean that the effects of the abuse are any less harmful or traumatic. Sexual assault of any kind is extremely violating. You can be a victim of sexual abuse regardless of age, gender, or race.
What are the effects of sexual abuse later in life?
Even if you don’t realize it, your sexual abuse may have left a lasting impact on you and your relationships. Years or even decades later, psychological effects from an instance of sexual abuse can linger and pervade your judgment and decision-making.
Immediately after the instance of sexual abuse, you might feel shocked, fearful, or even guilty. Many survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that causes the same feelings to return long after the event when exposed to certain triggers.
Not everyone gets PTSD, and the lasting effects after sexual abuse are different for everyone. They might include social isolation, extreme anxiety, trouble maintaining close relationships, or risky sexual behavior.
How can I work through trauma related to sexual abuse?
At The Green Room Psychological Services Inc., your provider fosters a trusting and transparent relationship with you. They encourage you to communicate about the abuse and its effects at your own pace and comfort levels over the course of your therapy, which could take weeks or months.
You’ll undergo an assessment to help your provider evaluate your mental health at the beginning of treatment. They use this information to choose the best approach to your treatment, which may include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychotherapy for PTSD. You’ll learn coping mechanisms to help you live with your trauma and strategies to handle coming into contact with your triggers.
No matter the type of sexual abuse you went through or the effects it had on your psyche, the team at The Green Room Psychological Services Inc. is equipped to help you overcome it. To book an appointment for treatment after sexual abuse, call the office today.