SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE Many are suffering in emotionally abusive relationships void of all love and intimacy - some of the examples of emotional abuse include: Criticism / humiliation (name-calling, put-downs) Isolation (stopping you from having contact with others) Controlling / possessiveness (monitoring you & your phone, jealousy) Gaslighting (making you doubt reality) Manipulation / intimidation (threats, demanding you do what they want, guilt-trip) Limiting your finances so they can control you more easily and make it harder to leave as you have to rely on them Lying to others about you to cause them to believe you are bad and hating you and having nothing to do with you Triggering on you frequently by arguing sometimes for hours, raising their voice and then giving you the silent treatment sometimes for days Glaring and staring at you with hatred in their eyes Controlling you through removing all sexual contact in marriage (often the abused spouse has no desire for sexual relations due to the emotional abuse because it’s void of all intimacy) All emotional abuse is designed to erode your self-worth and create dependence on the controlling person in order to make you do what they want. The emotional toxic…

I hear from thousands of people each year who have struggled through being emotionally, physically or sexually abused in their relationships, often times for much of their lives (marriages, fathers and mothers, step fathers, church leadership and those who attend, friends, etc.).  Most people who attend church who have been married have been preached to that God hates divorce and so feel like they must stay in a toxic, abusive relationships until death do they part.  Of course God hates divorce – but He also hates abuse which causes the victims to feel sick to their stomachs and often receive diseases and a slow death due to the unhealthy control, feel scared of their spouse and have to walk on egg shells every day while submitting to the demons in their spouse, parents or others.  Does God actually want you to stay submitted to a person whose demons are manifesting on you every day, verbally and emotionally abusing you for hours every day, causing you to feel worthless at best and suicidal at worst, dying slowly inside your body, soul and spirit every day and unable to do anything for the Lord?  Absolutely not.  And abuse does not have to…