A lot of pain and scars hide behind the trauma caused by emotional abuse, especially for children. And not to mention that no child deserves any kind of abuse or trauma because people who experienced emotional abuse as children may do some things differently than others.

Although people say that time heals everything, time actually helps us accept what we survived and teach us how to live with our experiences but not forget about them. These are the 15 things that people who survived emotional abuse in their childhood do differently than other people.

  1. They avoid conflicts. Yelling and screaming make them lose their temper instantly and that’s why these people avoid conflicts and can’t stand arguing or fight with people.
  2. They don’t take a compliment. If people are underappreciated in their childhood and no one gives them a pat on the back, they will refuse compliments as adults because they simply don’t know how to react when someone gives them a compliment. And not that they don’t know how to receive compliments but also experience difficulties at giving compliments to others.
  3. They are obsessed with perfection. The constant need for proving themselves makes them obsessed with perfection. They don’t do it because they enjoy it but because they feel the need to prove themselves to people around, when in fact they don’t need to prove themselves to anyone.
  4. They have a low self-esteem. They doubt their ability to do anything or make the right choice in their life. People who suffered emotional abuse as children think they are always wrong about everything and ask for validation from others.
  5. They take the unnecessary blame. These people think that everything bad in this Universe happened because of them and they’re constantly apologizing for everything they do.
  6. They are socially awkward. People like this are professionals in building a fortress around them and hanging out with people makes them anxious. The very thought of being surrounded by many people makes them feel trapped and scared.
  7. They trust no one. They have trust issues from the past and trust no one about anything. They don’t share their secrets or problems with people and never ask for help because they think that people will help them in order to abuse the favor after.
  8. They are often anxious or depressed. People who suffered emotional abuse find it difficult to talk about their feelings. They face depression and anxiety, especially in stressful situations.
  9. They are extremely defensive. They can be overly defensive about things that matter to them and make you think of them as rude or nasty, when in fact, they’re not.
  10. They feel the need to please everyone. Especially people who they think have an authority because they’re always scared to get in trouble or harmed if they don’t please them.
  11. They always justify their actions. People like this feel the constant need to explain everything they do and every move they make to everyone.
  12. They don’t look people in the eye. They are shy and can’t hold a conversation for too long. That’s why they avoid eyes contact as well.
  13. They are passive. These people are always neutral and let other people walk over them.
  14. They often face an identity crisis. Sometimes they wonder who they really are and have trouble realizing what they want to do in life or what they want to become.
  15. They bottle up their feelings. Especially anger. This happens because they’ve been doing the same for years in their childhood and don’t know how to manage feelings.

Featured image: Emotional Abuse Test

Based on: The Usual Routine