Aggression And Resentment

What often goes with the buried pain of emotional abuse is resentment. All that anger builds up, overtaking the numbness and provoking you to have angry outbursts or aggressive behavior.

Though you’ve never before thought about leaving the abuser, you find yourself ready not only to escape but to burn the bridges on the way. And you don’t want a slow burn. You want an explosion because everything in you has built up to that point.

But the truth is that until you let it out, it burns you on the inside. A common way of people letting it out is bit by bit with inappropriate humor, critical rants, and passive-aggressive behavior to relieve the pressure. But the relief is illusory and temporary.

You want the abuser to experience the pain they’ve inflicted. But if you can’t punish your abuser, you’ll likely direct your aggression at other individuals. It may offer some relief initially, but it will ultimately make you feel more rotten about yourself.

You might even intentionally provoke someone into an angry response just because it’s what feels familiar to you.