"Emotional abuse is a domestic abuse issue. It falls under the umbrella of domestic violence."Anne Blythe, founder of Betrayal Trauma Recovery

The long-held and damaging societal belief that it's "just emotional abuse" has caused harm to women all over the world for decades.

Stevie Croisant, founder of the survivor support network, We are Her, sheds light on the truths about emotional abuse as a domestic abuse issue and shares how victims can begin the journey to healing through sharing their stories, finding community, and becoming educated about abuse.

Emotional Abuse is Just As Damaging As Physical Abuse

Because victims of emotional and psychological abuse rarely have visible bruises, the abuse they endure is minimized or often entirely dismissed by family, friends, clergy, and therapists. The secondary trauma that arises from being discredited by those they reach out to for support is devastating.

While the bruises are not visible, the effects that emotional abuse has on the brain, body, and spirit of a woman are, indeed, tragic and real.

"My message to domestic abuse victims is to try and help them identify (the emotional and psychological abuse) long before the physical violence starts. To start identifying the the emotional and psychological abuse because that is just as dangerous to your heart and your soul as any physical thing that could happen to you."- Anne Blythe, founder of Betrayal Trauma Recovery

At Betrayal Trauma Recovery, emotional abuse is regarded as the serious and degrading abuse that it is. Speak to a professional now.

Physical Abuse is Always Accompanied By Emotional And Psychological Abuse

"You can’t separate them out. You’re never ever going to get physical violence without emotional and psychological violence."- Anne Blythe, founder of Betrayal Trauma Recovery

Tragically, victims of physical abuse also endure emotional and/or psychological abuse at the hands of their abuser. Physical abuse is never a stand-alone issue.

Physical abuse has been a long-misunderstood concept: while physical battering absolutely qualifies as physical abuse, it is not the only act that falls under definition. Any act that causes bodily harm or that causes fear in the victim of the threat of bodily harm is physical abuse.

Some examples of physical abuse are:

* Destroying physical property (punching walls, kicking structures or items within or outside of the home, breaking something that belongs to the victim or her children)* Threatening (or offering a subtle threat) to harm a woman or her childre...