 Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to our channel. You've given us so much love, and that means a lot to us. Your ongoing support helps us to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone, and we want to thank you for that. So, thank you. As a quick disclaimer, we wanted to let you know that this video is meant for informative purposes only. This video should not be used as any kind of diagnostic criteria. If you're dealing with something like abuse, we encourage you to please seek help. With that said, let's begin. Relationships with your family and friends define your life and also shape how you experience and engage with others. Attached to each relationship you create are experiences and memories. However, sometimes what you experience in relationships can hurt and scar you. These mental scars influence any new relationships you may be trying to build. So, here are six signs of people who may have suffered abuse. 1. You have feelings of insufficiency Feeling insufficient is a sign of abuse. There is probably a sense of unworthiness that follows you around. Such feelings stem from an unstable sense of self, stemming from emotionally, verbally, or physically abusive relationships. In an abusive relationship, an abuser plants false ideas in your mind. The power of these ideas is not in the words being used, but rather in who said them and how. Signs of low self-esteem are pessimism, hostility, lack of motivation, or being a bad communicator. You might be depressed or have other mental health conditions. Fortunately, self-esteem can improve. Working out, changing the negative narrative in your head, and practicing mindfulness can help boost your self-esteem. 2. You have flashbacks Flashbacks to previous traumas can come in the form of PTSD. PTSD can affect anyone and is not limited to war veterans, refugees, or victims of assault. If you've ever been in an abusive relationship, you may have complex PTSD, or CPTSD. CPTSD develops when you suffer repetitive abuse over an extended period of time. The stressful event or situation you were exposed to was exceptionally threatening, or of a catastrophic nature, which caused you pervasive distress. Do you relive the traumatic events through intrusive flashbacks, dreams, or vivid memories? Do you actively avoid circumstances that are similar or associated with the event? Some physical symptoms of CPTSD include difficulty falling or staying asleep, increased psychological sensitivity, irritability, difficulty regulating your emotions, and difficulty concentrating. CPTSD may also exist alongside depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. It can cause cognitive distortions, such as catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, or labeling. You might think things like, if I do not finish the project perfectly, then it won't be good, and I'll be a total failure. Or, I just know that they'll end up breaking my heart, so why even bother being in a relationship? If you or someone you know is dealing with CPTSD, please reach out to a therapist or licensed professional for treatment. The therapies provided will help to replace negative thought patterns, deal with stress, and suicidal urges. Number three, you struggle with cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance, also known as CD, can be another sign of past trauma. CD is when you hold on to two contradictory beliefs at the same time. An example of cognitive dissonance would be when someone smokes a cigarette, despite knowing that it can cause cancer. In a past abusive relationship, you felt as though you could not trust your own perception and have now developed a desire to avoid similar situations in the future. For example, the abuser may profess their love for you, but verbally abuse you. This creates a sense of internal confusion that can make you wary of trusting others in the future. There are validation journaling exercises that can help you heal and create positive thought patterns. Talking to a licensed therapist can also help. Number four, you feel numb to your emotions. It can be very difficult to explain how it feels to feel empty or numb. Depression and anxiety also cause emotional numbness. It's the mind's response to increased levels of emotional or physical stress and a desire to disengage from negative experiences. Officially, it's classified as a depersonalization disorder. Symptoms include disassociation, feeling like a stranger in someone else's life, and distress. Abuse creates emotional stress, which leads to the development of depersonalization disorder. In 2016, a study looked at continual exposure to violence in children and its relationship to depersonalization disorder. They found that over the course of six years, most of the participants became increasingly desensitized, regardless of their age or gender, but there is help. Treatment for emotional numbness is possible through coping strategies, such as identifying your triggers, exercising, and reaching out to a support group when necessary. Number five, you struggle with emotional detachment. Paired with emotional numbness is emotional detachment. In an abusive relationship, it's common for you to feel detached from yourself, be it physically or emotionally. Emotional detachment is a defense mechanism used to cope with distressing and overwhelming emotions. It's the mind's way of disengaging from traumatic experiences. It's also a tool that develops in order for you to gain resilience against the abuse and to keep your sense of self. However, the effects of emotional detachment can linger after the relationship has ended, and can prevent you from opening up and being emotionally vulnerable. Yoga can help ground you in your body and your emotions. Getting a pet, connecting with new friends, or picking up a new hobby, can also help you to broaden your horizons emotionally and physically. In number six, you have a habit of over-apologizing. A result of low self-esteem caused by abuse or trauma is to constantly apologize. Those who have endured abuse in the past often apologize for things that are not their fault. This habit originates from feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, or blame. A good thing to keep in mind is that your needs matter and are important. With therapy, you can help to replace self-defeating thought patterns with positive ones. Did you relate to any of these signs? Past hurts do not have to determine future outcomes. If you recognize any of these signs of abuse in your own life, or if someone you know, please reach out to a professional for treatment. Like and share this video if it helped you, and you think it could help someone else too. The studies and references used are listed in the description below. 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