Page-QA-SIAP23

Yes, small things over time can still count as abuse, especially when they create an ongoing pattern of fear, shame, control, neglect, or emotional harm. Abuse is often not defined…

Parentification is the term for when children are given responsibilities that belong to adults. Sometimes, this means they are expected to care for their parents, in a reversal of roles.…

Psychological abuse is a pattern of behavior that is used to control, intimidate, confuse, isolate, or undermine another person. Examples include: threats humiliation manipulation gaslighting intimidation monitoring isolation making someone…

Emotional abuse involves repeated behaviors that harm a person’s sense of safety, worth, confidence, or emotional stability. It can include: insults humiliation criticism shaming threats intimidation manipulation gaslighting constant blame…

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines abuse as “maltreatment,” but for our purposes, which addresses many people who have complex trauma, we think about maltreatment that repeats over time. Abuse isn’t always…

Yes. Something can still be abusive even if others had more extreme experiences. Comparing your experiences to others can make it harder to recognize harm, but it does not change…

It is common to feel this way, especially if your experiences were minimized, dismissed, or questioned. You may have learned to doubt your own reactions or to rely on others…

It is common to question whether something was “bad enough,” especially if your experiences were minimized, normalized, or compared to more extreme situations. You may have learned to evaluate harm…

It may not have felt like abuse at the time because it was familiar or normalized. When certain behaviors are part of your everyday environment, they can feel ordinary, even…

It can be hard to recognize abuse in your past for several reasons: It was normal in your family or community. If everyone engaged in the behavior, it may not…