Abuse, Types of Abuse, Warning Signs, and Survival Strategies

Abuse comes in many forms: verbal, emotional, spiritual, financial, physical violence, sexual violence, lying and intentional deception, name-calling, stalking, gas-lighting, word-salad, smear campaigns, love-bombing in the beginning stages, cutting one off from family and friends, infidelity, false pity stories, and sometimes death. There is cognitive dissonance, and the victim is confused. He may have lost all sources of support and feel trapped and hopeless, even driven to contemplating suicide. Many abusive relationships, especially with psychopathic types, follow a predictable trajectory from idealization to devaluation to discard, and by the time the discard phase sets in, the victim finds he has already been "replaced" by a new victim without his knowledge. There's also the "cycle of violence," where the perpetrator acts out abuse, promises to change, followed by short honeymoon period, and a return to the abuse and violence. Learn how to recognize the red flags of an abusive relationship, share your experiences, and get tips for how to survive.