{"id":5995,"date":"2021-02-25T21:45:24","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T21:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/?post_type=article&p=5995"},"modified":"2025-05-02T09:38:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T13:38:51","slug":"8-signs-of-an-emotionally-abusive-relationship","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/es\/content\/8-signs-of-an-emotionally-abusive-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"8 se\u00f1ales de una relaci\u00f3n emocionalmente abusiva"},"content":{"rendered":"

People in abusive relationships often don\u2019t understand that they are being abused<\/a>\u2014especially if there\u2019s no physical violence involved. But emotional abuse has major consequences, and it\u2019s often hard to recognize. This form of abuse deteriorates a person\u2019s self-esteem, independence, and dignity.<\/p>\n

Knowing how to recognize emotionally abusive behavior is the first step to empowering yourself (and others). We want you to understand that these behaviors are not healthy, so we\u2019ve put together some stages and signs of an emotionally abusive relationship.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A \u201cperfect\u201d start<\/h2>\n

At first, many abusive relationships feel incredibly romantic\u2014seemingly perfect. Your new partner will go out of their way to show their attention, devotion, and affection for you. They\u2019re charming, and you can\u2019t help but be lured to them. But the romantic gestures and gifts are ploys to captivate you and distract from what is to come.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Picking up speed<\/h2>\n

The relationship often moves very quickly. It can feel overwhelming, but also romantic and flattering. You\u2019re constantly texting and talking to one another. They might surprise you with a visit when you\u2019re not expecting it. The relationship quickly becomes intense, but you excuse it because it feels like love.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No space allowed<\/h2>\n

At first, it\u2019s sweet how protective they are of you\u2014how they get a little jealous of the idea of you with anyone else. But then the protectiveness turns into possessiveness. They start to get paranoid. Any time that they text or call you, they expect you to answer right away. They\u2019re always questioning your whereabouts, who you were with, and what you did. They may accuse you of cheating. The intensity of the relationship starts to feel more like smothering.<\/p>\n

They make excuses to justify their mistrust or dislike of a classmate, friend, or family member. They claim to be worried about you and your safety. They rationalize their possessiveness based on their past relationships, a difficult upbringing, or irreconcilable differences with people close to you.<\/p>\n

In an effort to prove your devotion to them, you work harder to appease their fears: spending less time out with friends, cutting off communication with anyone who could be seen as romantically interested, and sacrificing family gatherings to avoid conflict. You become increasingly isolated from your support systems. As a result, you become more and more dependent on your partner.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Unpredictable affection<\/h2>\n

If you don\u2019t comply or agree with your partner, they withdraw their affection<\/a> or become irritated and hostile. Their love is based on your willingness to conform to what they want. A lack of submission will result in them either becoming cold and detached, or aggressive and angry. They use affection as a tactic to exploit and control you. You find yourself feeling like you need to be overly careful when dealing with them to avoid offending, upsetting, or enraging them.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shifting the blame<\/h2>\n

Arguments with your partner are turned around and made to seem as though it\u2019s your fault. Somehow, other people are always to blame for your partner\u2019s problems, and they never accept responsibility for issues in their life. They use you and those around them as an outlet to vent their anger.<\/p>\n

Eventually, you may start to believe them. Maybe if you just tried harder not to upset them, things would be better\u2014and you could get back to what the relationship was when it first started. You take their emotional outbursts as proof of how intensely they care about you. If they didn\u2019t care, they wouldn\u2019t get so angry\u2026 right?<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Put-downs<\/h2>\n

Criticism is common in your relationship. Your partner might ridicule your spending habits, lifestyle choices, what you eat or drink, or your appearance. When you try to confront them about it, you are met with gaslighting\u2014they question your account of the incident, make you second-guess yourself, or tell you that you\u2019re overreacting or being \u201ccrazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Putting on an act<\/h2>\n

Your partner acts charming and personable in public, but behind closed doors they behave very differently. You feel as though no one would believe the mistreatment that you endure, because of the outward persona that your partner depicts.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The guilt trip<\/h2>\n

To keep you in the relationship, they make threats to blackmail you, harm or kill themselves, or hurt someone you love. They use whatever manipulation tactics they can to prevent you from leaving them. You feel like you don\u2019t deserve better or will never find anyone who cares for you as much as they do. The idea of finding new love doesn\u2019t seem possible. Being single seems daunting and lonely.<\/p>\n

You might also think: shouldn\u2019t you stick it out? While you fight with each other, you know it\u2019s normal to disagree sometimes. You stay with them because you believe that you can save them or get them to change their ways. You remember the better days and cling to the idea that things will turn around.<\/p>\n

\n

If you recognize any of these behaviors in your partner (or in your friends\u2019 relationships), you should know that it is no<\/em> normal. These behaviors are commonly associated with an emotionally abusive relationship. Even if you aren\u2019t being physically harmed (yet), the abuse takes a toll on your mental health. (Taking a free and confidential mental health test<\/a> can help you understand how your relationship is affecting your mental health.)<\/p>\n

Abusive relationships rarely start with physical violence. Instead, they start with an unhealthy and emotionally volatile relationship. In time, emotional abuse can escalate in severity, turning from verbal attacks and mental manipulation to physical violence\u2014possibly even death.<\/p>\n

Recognizing that these behaviors are unhealthy could help you or someone you know get out of a dangerous relationship. If you or someone you know may be in an abusive situation, One Love\u2019s resources can help<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

People in abusive relationships often don\u2019t understand that they are being abused\u2014especially if there\u2019s no physical violence involved. But emotional abuse has major consequences, and it\u2019s often hard to recognize. This form of abuse deteriorates a person\u2019s self-esteem, independence, and dignity. Knowing how to recognize emotionally abusive behavior is the first step to empowering yourself … <\/p>\n

Seguir leyendo “8 signs of an emotionally abusive relationship”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"template":"","age_group":[23,100,19],"condition":[114,98,119],"class_list":["post-5995","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","age_group-11-17","age_group-over-18","age_group-under-11","condition-abuse","condition-relationships","condition-trauma-ptsd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"8 signs of an emotionally abusive relationship<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.joinonelove.org\/learn\/emotional_abuse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 signs of an emotionally abusive relationship\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"People in abusive relationships often don\u2019t understand that they are being abused\u2014especially if there\u2019s no physical violence involved. 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