Verbal abuse is a form of emotional abuse where someone uses their words to invoke fear in another person and gain control over them.1 Types of verbal abuse include name-calling, criticizing, gaslighting, and threatening. Learn More: How to Cope With Emotional Abuse.
Defining Emotional Abuse
One reason is because there are several different names used interchangeably to refer to the same kind of abuse, including emotional abuse/violence, psychological abuse/violence, and mental abuse.
If you've asked someone to stop calling you a name and they've ignored your request, they're being verbally abusive. Example: While an abuser might scream out harsh words like “worthless” or “idiot” during an argument, even supposedly playful nicknames and insults can be abusive if they're hurtful.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which a person or group causes someone to question their own sanity, memories, or perception of reality.
“ You're *#@! % stupid. ” “ I wish you were never born. ” “ No one is ever going to love you, you're so *#@! % fat and ugly. ” “ You never get anything right. ” “ You're worthless. ” These are mean and degrading things to say to someone. They hurt.
Verbal abuse involves using words to name call, bully, demean, frighten, intimidate, or control another person. This can include overt verbal abuse such as yelling, screaming, or swearing. Such behaviors are attempts to gain power, and the goal is to control and intimidate you into submission.
In general sense, abusing refers to the uttering of such degenerate words which are used during a verbal fight, often to downgrade the person or to further ignite the raging spirits of the person to provoke him to commit an act of aggression.
Mental abuse can be described as acts that can cause someone to feel insulted or demeaned or wear down someone's self-esteem. Examples include making unreasonable demands, being overly critical, wanting a partner to sacrifice needs for others, and causing them to doubt their perception (gaslighting).
Verbal abuse is the most common form of emotional abuse.
Some researchers think there may be five cycles of emotional abuse, which include enmeshment, overprotection, neglect, rage, and abandonment.
The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, whether through malice or through ignorance, remain branded in his memory, and sooner or later they burn his soul.
Abusive language is extremely rude and insulting. He was alleged to have used abusive language. Synonyms: insulting, offensive, rude, degrading More Synonyms of abusive.
Stay alert to the different types of abuse
Some examples include slapping, pinching, choking, kicking, shoving, or inappropriately using drugs or physical restraints.
Narcissistic abuse is emotional abuse. It can leave you feeling confused, ashamed, or guilty. You may question if abuse is really happening. Victims of emotional abuse often need to rebuild their self-esteem and regain the confidence that their abuser eroded.
If you find yourself having the same conversation over and over again and can't seem to convince them to acknowledge your point of view, you might be getting gaslighted.
Being a perpetrator of gaslighting is treated seriously by authorities and may soon be considered a crime in parts of Australia.
As well as physical violence, examples of domestic abuse can involve: undermining an individual's self-confidence; threats to others including children; controlling behaviour such as isolation from friends and family; restricting access to money, personal items, food, telephone etc.; and stalking.