You Are Not Crazy: The Anatomy of Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse rarely begins with screaming — it begins with confusion.

Emotional Abuse Looks Like:

It’s the partner who shrugs off your feelings.
The friend who twists your words.
The spouse who says “I never said that” even though you clearly remember they did.

The slow erosion of your voice and your truth creates the illusion that the problem must be you.

This is how emotional abuse works:

It invalidates your reality
You’re told your feelings are dramatic, irrational, or untrue.

1. It rewrites history
   Gaslighting is their tool; self-blame becomes yours.

2. It isolates you inside your mind
   The less you trust yourself, the more they control you.

3. It conditions compliance
   You learn that silence or self-erasure keeps the peace.

If you feel confused, frozen, or like you’re “too sensitive,” you’re not weak — you’re reacting normally to abnormal treatment.

Signs you might be emotionally abused:

You apologize constantly.

• You replay conversations wondering where you went wrong.

• You hesitate to ask for help or share opinions.

• You minimize your needs to avoid backlash.

Emotional abuse doesn’t break bones —
it breaks identity.

Healing begins with naming it.

You’re not dramatic.
You’re not unstable.
You’re not the cause.

You’re waking up.

And that awakening is your first act of power.