What Would You Consider As Psychological Abuse?

Question

From a certain age as a child; if words or practices are perpetually or repetivately forced into the mind of that child, what affect would it have on the development of his/her brain?
And If a parent/friend/relative was minipulative enough to make the child believe that it is him/her that is insain, or that no abuse had happened, is this severe mental abuse?
If you have any personal experiences first hand of severe mental abuse, and are in recovery I would be very grateful for your feedback -
Also if you are a psychologist, this would be helpful as well.
Please answer in a mature and polite manner thanks.

Answer 1

Grew up with a very controlling father and compliant mother. She was of the view that if we kids were getting abused, she was having a day off. He worked shifts and I was so glad to see the back of him I would literally run a mile from Primary School, across fields to wave him goodbye on the bus he was riding to work. When he was home, in bed during the day, we crept around the house like mice. The slightest noise would mean hell when he came down stairs. I, the youngest, had to empty his piss pot. The toilet was downstairs at the back the house and it was usually full to the brim. He would leave instructions for chores to be done in his absence and if they were not done, all hell broke loose. He would slap us on the back of the head as we walked past him or kick us for no reason. Life from 5 - 15 years was a nightmare, that's when my memories start. I am 54 and just about over the controlling little Hitler. I was the male child and unknown to me stuff went on that I cannot describe here with my sisters, perpetrated by him. He sexually abused me. We were mentally broken by him and totally compliant to his abuse. I could go on for hours, fill in the gaps yourself. The neighbours never guessed. They all thought he was a great little guy. 5'5" tyrant. I left home, last at 15. My sisters got out 18 months before me. If I challenged him in later life, he would deny it and say we had a brilliant childhood. By comparison to his, adopted at 9 in 1928 and placed in a brutal orphanage I guess we did. He had nil parenting skills. I cannot understand my mother. She was middle class and had a good parental support network which she never accessed. She loved him too much. She was afraid to lose him and sacrificed her children on his alter of abuse and misuse.

Answer 2

I consider Psychological abuse can be when a parent continualy underminds a child. My own instant was always being told I was no good. If I came top in any subject while I was at school I would be told "God the others must be stupid"
When I passed the eleven plus there was no way I would be
allowed to go for a good education as I didn`t have the brain power. I was always frightened of not being " Good" because the threat of failure was possible death, and suffer everlasting hell. I grew up thinking I was mentally retarded.
Very unsure. Unable to mix ( I still find it difficult). I could go on but you will probably get my drift. However I managed to overcome many of my fears with the help of a very kind psychologist I got my life back.. .......Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Allen555 and others have answered this question well. I too suffered from abuse, physical and mental and sufferedfrom mental health problems as a result and still do. I will never be 100%. It all boils down to an abuse of power; the intimidation, humiliation and fear. They try to put the guilt on you and make you believe it is your fault they have hit or shouted. At school, I failed to to be very unhappy and was classed as having learning disabilities or being thick. I failed all my GCSE's. After a lot of help, I have a good job and have a degree in Psychology proving everybody wrong.

Answer 4

Psychological abuse is one of the worst forms (not that any other type is "better").

To become an adult survivor of child abuse, one is always second guessing themselves. It's often hard to make the simplest decisions.

One can and often does, carry the guilt and belief throughout their lives thinking that they are not worthy of love, are incapable in fact, of being loved.

Finding intimacy and trust almost impossible to grasp at times which in turn, can lead to many disastrous relationships.

Having low self-worth, and cutting themselves off socially from others because they feel their own opinions or actions cannot possibly benefit anyone.

If the victim has been told repeatedly that they were never abused, that it's all in their minds, then they grow up never knowing how to trust their own instincts....

Answer 5

At a very early age, a child's self-image is developed and reinforced by his home environment. At the very extreme, if you treat a child as a dog, then it's very likely that the child will internalize dog behavior and would actually believe he is a dog. In similar manner, if a child has been repeatedly told that he is a moron and has been denied contact with any other environments outside of the home, then he will believe he is (as there were no others to tell him otherwise). In the absence of any pathological findings, this COULD be a case of mental abuse.

It is very difficult for me to categorically give you a definitive answer. At best, I can only mouth standard textbook explanations. Cases like this require in-depth interviews and probing before any valid diagnosis could even be attempted.

Answer 6

What do you mean by 'words or practices... forced into the mind of that child?' What kind of words or practices? Like making a child racist? Your question is so general. People try to instill their beliefs in their children all the time. When my daughter is rude and mouthy, I correct her. I do this all the time and try to stress that it's important to be a good person. This isn't abuse, this is teaching. You need to narrow your question down so we understand you properly.

Answer 7

Forcing words and practises into the minds of children is how parents teach them to behave. For example teaching them how to cross the road or not to run wih scissors.

Making a child think he/she is insane when they are not would fall under mental abuse. Other than that I can not help you.

Answer 8

Mental cruelty... many forms... to torture... the inflicting of inhumane conditions to control, manipulate...

One form I experienced was being made to feel I was the one in the wrong all the time - I was always being told everything was my fault, that I wasn't liked, loved, wanted, that I was mad- crazy, pathetic, lazy, different - not normal...
I wasn't spoken to, I was sneered at... mocked...
If I dared to say anything back, I was attacked...

but somehow that didn't really bother me- I just somehow knew they were cretins that I shouldn't listen to them or believe in them...

... it took many years for me to be able to talk about my hell (I also suffered physical abuse), & then the person who abused me was told what I had said.
I then had to listen to strong denials... with comments EG. "you are really horrible" (with heavy sneers on the word 'you') & "how could you say that?" (shocked, innocent facial expression) "You know that's not true!" (admonishments...)
The denials were then believed! & I was once again, ousted, losing everything!

Recovery? I just shrug my shoulders. I'm not going to let them waste my life - I refuse to be forced into being something I am not. They might want me to be a shivering nervous wreck but I am not going to sink to that level! I know what happened. I know that was wrong. I can't undo what happened. So what's to be gained in letting all that badly affect my emotional stability? They're the ones with the problems, not me!

Answer 9

This is slightly off your topic, yet psychological abuse amongst other things. The most ignored topic is the psychological and physical abuse to African slavery all the way up to their freedom in the americas and continued psychological abuse towards the African Americans up to this very day in every way?

Answer 10

I'd consider anything that undermines a child's view of themselves as Abuse! From something as simple as telling a child that it is stupid to telling them they are insane! Tell a child something often enough and yes it affects them!
The denial of abuse could be because they don't see it as abusive (perhaps they were talked to like that themselves) and your mentioning it may be embarrasing for them!