Psychological Abuse is any threat to do bodily harm to a partner, a child, a family member, friends, pets, or one's self (suicide). Psychological abuse involves not only hurt and anger, but also fear and degradation. The purpose of psychological abuse is to render you emotionally insecure about your own self-worth and to render you helpless and/or not able to escape further physical, sexual and/or psychological abuse.
An example from my own life. My ex husband told me once that he though I was bi-polar. He had me so torn down psychologically, mentally, and emotionally that I really thought there was something mentally wrong with me. Of course there wasn't. It was him, not me. But even now, I still get the odd feeling that something just isn't quiet right, that I have no right to have my own feelings. Old habits are hard to break.
Psychological Abuse Includes Your Partner Doing the Following:
threatening to punch, hit, slap, or kick you
threatening to use a weapon
threatening to harm him or herself if you leave
threatening to punish children to get back at you
threatening to harm pets
throwing objects in your direction
vague threats such as "you're going to get it" or "I'm really going to let you have it"
harming a pet to 'get back at you'
smashing and breaking things
throwing objects around the room
punching walls or slamming doors
sabotaging your car
any emotional abuse which in the past was a prelude to physical or sexual abuse
