Short And Long Term Effects Of Abusive Relationships

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Abusive Relationships “The moment you start to wonder if you deserve better, you do.” - Anonymous - Bad relationships are toxic. They belittle you and tear you down both mentally and physically. Many short and long term effects can occur from being in an abusive relationship: You may get the feeling of powerless, feel undesirable, alone, or even suicidal. There are three primary types of abusive relationships; emotional, physical, and sexual. Each of which have very different impacts on your life.
Psychological or emotional abuse is not only the most common type of abuse but also the most difficult to deal with. Most people only notice when abuse is happening when you can see bruises or marks, which is why in some cases psychological abuse …show more content…

That is usually how an abusive relationship starts, then later escalates into something more serious. Psychological abuse can occur mostly during arguments but can also become more frequent in day to day situations. The abuser usually starts by controlling everything their intimate partner does; for example telling them who they can and can not hang out with. They usually start small to see what the person can handle, but it doesn't take long before it progresses into something more frightening and threatening. Being a victim of psychological abuse can have many side effects that can stay with the victim for his or her entire life. One of the most common long term effects of being emotionally abused is damaged self confidence. Abusers tend to focus on the on the areas where the victim already struggles with self esteem issues such as, weight, physical appearance, and …show more content…

Being a victim of sexual abuse has more long term effects than short. “Dissociation is one of the many defense mechanisms the brain uses to cope with the trauma of sexual assault.” (rainn.org) Another very common effect of being in a sexually abusive relationship is substance abuse. This allows the victim to try and numb or forget the pain rather than getting professional help. After being in a sexualy abusive relationship there are always the chance of getting pregnant, or getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Both of which could stick with you for the rest of your life. Getting pregnant in a sexually abusive relationship can be traumatizing, and the baby will be a constant reminder of the horrible relationship. The abuser will impregnate their partner on purpose so they will either have to stay in the relationship or return to