Episode Details

When emotional battering is covert, each moment looks harmless on its own. A comment, joke, or a nice” surprise might seem harmless. But when you step back and look at the pattern, a very different story emerges, one where boundaries are crossed, and her reactions are used as evidence against her.

SEVEN SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL BATTERING

Here are seven signs of emotional battering that often go unnoticed, especially when the husband looks like a great guy to everyone else.

1. Her reactions don’t match his gestures. He is doing something that seems nice, but she seems genuinely distressed. It usually means she senses something that other people can’t.
2. If she seems on edge around his kindness. She flinches at affection or looks uneasy when he is charming, it’s usually because she knows that kindness is hiding something that isn’t so kind.
3. If she watches him carefully, she’s probably gauging risk. Hyperawareness is an emotional survival skill. So if she’s being emotionally battered, it’s totally normal that she’s gonna be on high alert for emotional manipulation.
4. Feeling relief when you are away from him is a powerful indicator that something’s really wrong in your marriage.
5. She apologizes for things that don’t require an apology. If she’s apologizing for just stating her opinion, or talking about how she feels, it’s highly likely that she’s experiencing emotional battering.
6. She adjusts herself to constantly keep the peace. His lies that she’s doing something wrong are part of the emotional battering.
7. Her friends notice that she’s not quite herself around him. A woman who’s trying to make herself smaller is not loved in marriage. If she seems quieter or less alive in his presence, that’s a sign that her husband is emotionally battering her.

To learn if you are a victim of emotional battering, take this free emotional abuse quiz.

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL BATTERING?

Emotional battering is a consistent pattern of words, actions, or behaviors intended to manipulate, or control a person. Unlike physical abuse, emotional battering is more subtle and insidious, making it difficult to identify and even harder to explain to others.

Worse, an abuser may manipulate others, so you experience emotional battering from people in your church congregation or even neighbors. If you’re experiencing emotional battering from by-standers regarding your husband’s behavior, you need support. Attend a Betrayal Trauma Recovery Group Session TODAY.

COMMON EMOTIONAL BATTERING TACTICS

Being married and experiencing emo