It may start with harsh words or a shove, but it never stops at that. Abuse escalates as time goes on. It advances to a slap or a punch. The onslaught of apologies and gifts that follow from the abuser seems to arouse hope for the future. It’s all a delusion. It is a cycle that is not easily broken. No one can erase the inner damage done to any human being that is robbed of their right to be safe and live in peace. Wounds can heal, but the damage done with abusive trauma can last a lifetime.
No matter how impacting the abuse, it is always something that is dehumanizing. Human rights include the right to be your own person. In abusive situations, you lose your identity. The abuser forces their will and desires upon someone because of their weakness or vulnerability. The abuser seeks to have control and removes all value of the opinions of others. Every act of abuse breaks the victim apart, piece by piece. Eventually, they lose sight of who they really are. They become a product of their environment.
When rights are stripped from someone, they don’t pursue goals. When someone is being controlled by another, they lose sight of value in who they are. The abuser dictates the mindset. The abuser forces their way of thinking upon the person until they believe whatever their abuser says. They are conditioned and sometimes it’s hard to show the victim otherwise. They are a product of what the abuser has made them. They may have the potential to be something else, but fear is their biggest deterrent. They walk in a subservient way just to avoid being demeaned and humiliated. No matter what they attempt to achieve, it is always subject to the approval of the domineering one. Anything that doesn’t meet the abuser’s standard is ...
