If you’ve experienced emotional abuse for a while, you might inadvertently think these behaviors are to be expected from partners, family, or friends.Ĭhronic emotional abuse could affect how you see yourself in relationships and your tolerance toward certain behaviors. In particular, the study found changes to certain genes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is an area of the brain that’s involved in the stress response.Įffects of emotional abuse on relationships Epigenetic refers to how your environment and behaviors affect your genes. Research from 2018 has connected childhood abuse to epigenetic brain changes that may cause depression. Emotional abuse is linked to thinning of certain areas of the brain that help you manage emotions and be self-aware - especially the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe. Early emotional abuse could cause changes to the hippocampus that make it harder to empathize with the emotions of others. These are some of the ways research suggests emotional abuse can impact your brain: Long-term emotional abuse can potentially impact your brain, especially if the abuse happened during childhood when the brain is still developing. Other kids may resort to fantasy and imagination, leading to avoidant behaviors and isolation over time. For example, it can lead to numbing or disconnecting from emotions. Research from 2014 highlights how childhood emotional abuse can lead to the development of unhelpful ways of coping in women who have experienced it. They may also seem less emotionally mature than their peers, as abuse could make it harder to grow a trusting relationship with their own emotions. Children who experience emotional abuse might have more difficulty managing their responses to difficult emotions.

Self-harm and suicidal thoughts can also be effects of emotional abuse on a child. Children may appear to “act out,” show signs of attention deficity hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and sometimes become abusive toward other children. What are the effects of emotional abuse in children?Ĭhildren who experience emotional abuse may go through some of these effects:

physical health challenges like body aches and heart palpitations.

neuroticism, or the tendency toward low mood and negative emotions like anger.avoidance of activities related to the incident.You might be more likely to experience both long- and short-term impacts of emotional abuse if you’ve dealt with these behaviors for many years as a child or an adult.īut abuse can affect you even if you experience it once.Įven if you’re not aware of the abusive behaviors or you feel they don’t affect you, they’re still abusive if that was the intention. Some people experience emotional abuse over many years, such as during childhood or the course of a romantic relationship.īut you can also experience more acute or short-term instances of emotional abuse, such as a casual exchange with a stranger or interactions with colleagues or friends. long-term effects of emotional abuse in adults

Signs of emotional trauma