Recognizing early signs of emotionally abusive parents is important for the family to stay intact and for the child to grow independently.
One of the critical situations with emotional abuse is it is difficult to measure the symptoms and report them. Still, a study by Sandford reported that 11 out of 20 children experience one or the other form of emotional abuse by parents or a family member in the US.
The initial years are crucial for a child’s development, and any kind of negative experience can leave a lifelong scar on his life.
By shedding light on this sensitive topic, the blog aims to raise awareness and offer guidance to break the cycle of emotional abuse and foster healthier relationships.
What Is Emotional Abuse?
Emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse, can often go unnoticed as there is ideally no physical harm that can be detected, and it is linked with behavioral patterns.
As the phrase says, emotional abuse is making mean comments toward someone, leaving them feeling threatened, scared, ashamed, belittled, isolated, or inferior. It’s a non-physical abuse often done by people to control others through emotions.
Children can face emotional abuse by anyone, be it their parents, teacher, siblings, cousin, extended family members, stepparent, babysitter, etc. It can take various forms, like a parent pressuring his child to keep secrets, asking them to lie, lashing out at them with no appropriate reason, or a caretaker scolding the child and belittling them more often.
10 Signs of Emotionally Abusive Parents
As emotional abuse is more on a psychological basis, it can be difficult to spot symptoms of emotionally abusive parents. However, here are 10 signs that, when observed carefully, can help you spot emotionally abusive parents.
1. Frequent negative actions
If a parent is deliberately scaring, humiliating, ignoring, or isolating his child more than required and, most importantly, it is seen publicly, it can be one of the first signs of emotionally abusive parents.
2. Unrealistic expectations
Every parent usually has a lot of expectations from their child. As everything has a borderline to it, too many unrealistic expectations can lead to deterioration in the child’s self-worth and leave him emotionally abused.
3. Criticizing constantly
A parent’s constructive criticism helps the child improve and grow in various fields. However, constant criticism and pointing out flaws in everything the child does can lead to low self-confidence and decreased self-esteem.
4. Being extremely protective
Not allowing your child to explore the world and get life lessons on his own can lead to self-sabotaging behavior. Being too protective of how your child lives his life is a strong sign of emotionally abusive parents.
5. Neglecting your child
If you are too busy to take time for your child, you are not only neglecting his current needs but also creating a void inside him, which is often realized at a later stage in life.
6. Unhealthy competition
Motivating your child to do better and forcing him to outshine others are two sides of the same coin. If you are constantly encouraging comparisons and unhealthy competition, your child can feel emotionally drained, believing his parents will never be happy no matter what.
7. Belittling and Insulting
Calling out names and insulting your child is a clear sign of emotional abuse and can significantly impact a child’s self-image.
8. Manipulation
Suppose you are gaslighting or manipulating your child to believe what’s not true or making him feel ashamed or guilty about something. In that case, there is a high chance that you are abusing your child emotionally.
9. Withholding emotions as a sign of punishment
Teaching life lessons to your child is important, but not at the cost of withholding emotions. Keeping them away for a long time can lead to significant depletion in emotions, making love conditional for your child.
10. Inhibiting child’s growth
Not directing your child to socialize with the right people, have the necessary kind of experiences, learn new skills, and failing to support your child in his early years is a subtle sign of emotionally abusive parents.
The Impact of Emotionally Abusive Parenting
Being emotionally abused, especially in the early years, can severely impact various areas in a child’s life:
- Difficulty in learning and remembering concepts
- Low self-image and self-esteem issues
- Fear of failure resulting in lack of action
- Increase the risk of substance use to cope with emotions
- Insomnia and nightmares
- Risk of migraine, nutritional deficiencies, and eating disorders
- Increased dependence on others to manage their emotions
- Mental health issues like depression, anxiety, stress in early ages
Addressing Emotional Abuse
Finding the root causes is one of the most important steps in dealing with emotionally abusive parents. Here are some ways to address this:
1. Spread awareness
Talking about problems can lead to significant progress and help recognize patterns. Make the child aware of what’s happening to him and why it’s not correct.
2. Build support systems
Before confronting, a child should have enough people by his side who can support him in case the condition worsens. In most cases, parents change their behavior once they realize their actions and get guidance on how to improve.
3. Ask a professional
Like physical health, mental health also requires the right expertise to heal timely. If you see a child getting emotionally abused, connect him to a professional to guide him and his emotionally abusive parents on what’s the right behavior to impart.
How can Avisa Recovery help you?
Accepting what you might have missing is the first step to looking inside your brain and understanding your emotions. If any child you know might be dealing with emotionally abusive parents, it’s time they get help.
We at Avisa Recovery help both children and parents understand their emotions, curate plans based on current actions, and constantly monitor their progress. We help them heal at every step of the way and get out of the emotional abuse.
Childhood is one of the most peaceful and beautiful phases of life, and it should be cherished with love, support, and care. Let’s make it better for those who don’t have it already.
Frequently Asked Questions: Emotionally Abusive Parents
Q: What are emotionally absent parents?
A: Children who have emotionally absent parents feel ignored and unloved because they are unable to receive emotional support, affection, or validation.
Q: What are the effects of emotional abuse from parents in adulthood?
A: It can result in low self-esteem, trouble establishing healthy relationships, mental health issues, and difficulty trusting others.
Q: How do I know if I have childhood emotional neglect?
A: You might have trouble expressing your feelings, feel unworthy, or struggle to recognize your needs and establish boundaries.
Q: How does a parent’s trauma affect their child?
A: Unresolved trauma in a parent may manifest as recurrent cycles of abuse, emotional inaccessibility, or hyperreactive behavior.
Q: How to recover from emotionally abusive parents?
A: Seek therapy, establish a network of support, engage in self-compassion exercises, and focus on self-awareness and emotional control as a means of healing.
