Abuse comes in many forms and one of the most insidious is emotional/psychological abuse. Unlike physical abuse with its overt symptoms of bruises, breaks, and blood, emotional abuse may go unnoticed by friends and family. However, its scars are real. Victims often report that others do not take their stories of emotional abuse seriously and many victims refuse to even talk about their situation, believing it's their fault.
What is emotional abuse? There's no single definition of emotional
abuse which, like other forms of abuse, is based
on power and domination.The abuse may include humiliation, demeaning comments, threats, and ignoring and although it often goes hand in hand with verbal or physical abuse it may be the only form of abuse present.