Mental Abuse

Abuse comes in many different forms. To name a couple: there is physical abuse, mental abuse , emotional abuse and substance abuse. All are equally important to know about but we are going to focus on the mental aspect.This is a touchy subject and many people are not open to talking about it due to embarrassment of letting it happen in the first place. If you are one of these people know that you are not alone and talking about it is the first step to overcoming it and taking back your power. A lot of mental abuse starts at home when you are a child and can affect your adult life. You had no choice but to sit and take any abuse that was given because you were not capable of standing up for yourself as a child and as an adult you are probably insecure or dealing with abuse from your partner. I am not a therapist and i encourage anyone dealing with any form of abuse to get professional help, if you are not able to remove yourself from the situation. Below are a few tips to help you through the process:

Be Aware:

Does the person make you feel less than or worthless after having an argument or disagreement? Are you overly hard on yourself because of the things that were said in that argument? Have you been questioning your existence on this planet after the discussion? Does the person try to control where you go and who you see? If you answered YES to any of these questions, you are in a situation where you are at risk of being mentally abused. If you are not in a position to talk to someone professional but are still curious to know if you are dealing with a person, whether it be Mom, Dad or Significant other, here is a test that can help:

Love on yourself...

It is essential to be kind to yourself at a time like this. Give yourself the love and respect you are lacking. If you somehow have lost yourself, take this time to find yourself. Take yourself on a date, compliment yourself, and speak words of encouragement into yourself. Having trouble getting creative with finding yourself here is a great platform that will help you explore different options:

Talk About it...

Even if it with yourself in a journal, it is a start. Being able to vent and get it out will also help you assess how you got to this point. Professional help is what i would recommend but I support self-helpers.If journaling is not your thing, try talking to a close friend or a stranger. I have found out that spilling your guts to strangers can be very therapeutic. A great way to speak to a stranger that is a good listener is to visit 7cups.com

Laugh It Off...

This can be a stressful time in your life and that is totally normal. Just remember you are not alone in dealing with your mental illness. It happens to the best of them. Take it easy. Although you may be going through something that is traumatic ,try not to let it affect other areas of your life. studies show, (According to mentalhealth.org) that laughter is medicine

I know from experience that waiting to get help can make for a bigger problem later. Taking time to click the links above to get your feet wet with healing/detoxing yourself from mental abuse is a great choice. You're one step closer! Keep it up! If no one has told you today, I am proud of you!