Psychology Diary

The First Step Toward Change Is Awareness

  • Home
  • Relationships
  • Mental Health
  • Expert Tips
  • Life
  • Family
  • Marriage

6 Damaging After Effects of Emotional Abuse

April 21, 2023 · Mental Health
Emotional Abuse
Photo by mrmohock at Shutterstock

Depression, Anxiety, And Self Harming Thoughts

The short-term effects of frequent lectures, criticism, or self-pitying monologues can dampen anyone’s spirits. But the impact of long-term emotional abuse goes way deeper than feeling brief sadness.

If your self-esteem reflects the talk you hear daily, it doubles the effects of abuse, ultimately making you sick: emotionally AND physically. The heaping pile of abusive speech and actions, leading to toxic self-esteem, isn’t something you just snap out of.

Even if the abuser is no longer around, if you’re still mentally replaying the same scenes you were experiencing while the abuser was with you, your exercise will pick up where the abuser left off.

It takes mindful awareness of those abusive scripts to replace them with self-esteem that builds you up and allows you to heal.

Without that understanding, you’re sensitive not only to anxiety and depression but also to self-harm to punish or distract yourself from the emotional pain.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Share this article

Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Latest Posts

  • Two friends sitting at a kitchen table, unconsciously mirroring each other's posture by resting their chins on their hands. 7 Signs Someone Mirrors Your Personality Without Realizing It
  • A woman laughs at her phone while her friend sits beside her on a sofa with a forced, thin smile and envious eyes. 7 Friendship Behaviors That Reveal Hidden Jealousy
  • A mixed media collage showing a glowing smartphone screen inside a mirror frame, casting a shadow of a staged performance on a curtain. 7 Signs Someone Is Performing Kindness For Attention
  • A mixed media collage of a person in a theatrical spotlight while their partner sits in the shadows of a theater audience. 7 Signs Someone Loves Attention More Than They Love You
  • A person sits in a dimly lit room, staring thoughtfully out a window during twilight, capturing a mood of emotional stillness. 7 Signs Someone Is Emotionally Stuck In The Past
  • An ink illustration of a person weighed down by a giant smoky hand and seven thin wire-like lines coiling around their limbs. 7 Signs Someone Is Using Guilt To Control You
  • A couple sits on opposite ends of a sofa in a dark room, one looking out a window and the other looking at a phone, showing emotional distan 7 Signs Someone Is Emotionally Immature
  • A mixed media collage showing a calm silhouette surrounded by jagged, colorful paper cutouts and ink splatters, representing chaos. 7 Signs Someone Loves Drama More Than Peace
  • A woman sits alone on a sofa in a dimly lit room, looking thoughtfully toward a window, evoking emotional exhaustion. 7 Phrases Manipulative People Use In Arguments
  • A mixed media collage showing gold and indigo threads being pulled from a paper silhouette, symbolizing mental energy depletion. 7 Signs Someone Is Quietly Draining Your Mental Energy

Newsletter

Get the latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Related Articles

self-soothing,

9 Self-Soothing Methods to Help You Regain Balance

Some of The Best Self-Soothing Tactics out There! Let’s face it: We all have moments…

Read More →
PTSD

Nightmares, Numbness, and 12 Other Shocking Signs of PTSD

What do you know about PTSD? To put it in simpler words, disorders of the…

Read More →
Older adults listening in a support group.

Understanding Common Mental Health Challenges in Older Adults

A Guide for Caregivers: Supporting a Loved One Watching a parent, spouse, or friend struggle…

Read More →
dementia myth

7 Worst Types of Dementia and How to Identify Yours

…Are you scared of dementia? According to research, dementia is one of the most prevalent…

Read More →
A woman in her 60s sits thoughtfully in a sunlit living room with a mug of tea, reflecting on connection and solitude.

Why Loneliness Hits Harder After 60—and How to Fix It

Discover why loneliness intensifies after 60, learn the difference between solitude and isolation, and explore…

Read More →
Bipolar Disorder

What It’s Like Having Bipolar Disorder According to Celebrities

Is Bipolar Disorder a Hidden Struggle for Hollywood Stars? Did you know that Bipolar disorder…

Read More →
A senior woman sits alone on her sofa in warm afternoon light, looking out the window with a pensive and slightly anxious expression.

Why Anxiety in Seniors Is Often Overlooked—and How to Get Help

Discover why anxiety in older adults is frequently overlooked, learn to recognize the physical signs,…

Read More →
therapist

10 Warning Signs You Should Talk to a Therapist

9. Your relationships are impacted by your emotional state When you’re not feeling well, your…

Read More →
Conceptual paper-craft illustration of a brain with glowing neural pathways and botanical growth representing cognitive health.

The Link Between Physical Activity and Mental Sharpness After 60

Discover how combining aerobic and resistance training can actively rewire your brain, increase BDNF levels,…

Read More →

Psychology Diary

The First Step Toward Change Is Awareness

Inedit Agency S.R.L.
Bucharest, Romania

contact@psychologydiary.com

Explore

  • About Us
  • Advertiser Disclosure
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Do not sell my personal information
  • Editorial Policy
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Subscribe
  • Unsubscribe

Categories

  • Expert Tips
  • Family
  • Life
  • Marriage
  • Mental Health

© 2026 Psychology Diary. All rights reserved.