In today’s post, I want to continue my discussion on the plague of narcissism that is reaching epidemic proportions in society. In last week’s post, I talked about a type of abuse called reactive abuse. Today, I want to touch on the fact that psychological abuse IS physical abuse.
Narcissists are masters at tormenting their targets until their victim’s threshold for abuse is reached, causing them to lash out in retaliation.
Narcissistic abuse is hidden abuse, also called covert abuse. Even the victim’s loved ones may have no clue what is taking place behind closed doors.
Because covert abuse is emotional and psychological in nature, the abuse does not manifest instantly like that of physical abuse. Signs and symptoms can take years to become evident…
HOWEVER, this type of abuse is not any less dire and devastating. In fact, the opposite is true.
Because of the chronic nature of the abuse, victims may develop Complex Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (C-PTSD), which can take years to diagnose, address, and treat.
C-PTSD, not only includes symptoms of PTSD, it also involves other symptoms, such as:
- Feelings of emptiness, despair, and hopelessness
- A tendency towards isolation
- Suicidal ideation
- An underlying sense of anger and suspicion
- Difficulty getting one’s emotions under control
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Chronic physical symptoms
Since emotions are stored in the body, and affect both the autonomic nervous system and the immune system, emotional abuse is most certainly physical abuse, due to its damaging effects on the body.
Click the links below if you’d like to learn more about this sinister disorder and all of its repercussions.
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