Is Your Mental Health Not Okay Because You’ve Been Verbally Abused By Someone?

Are we underestimating the power that words hold over us? Can words impose scars that are not visible to the bare eyes?

An age-old adage states “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This saying, however, misses the inflicting capability of verbal abuse.

Verbal abuse involves the use of words, tone, or language that belittles, humiliates, intimidates, or controls another person. It consists of demeaning remarks, insults, criticism, threats, or yelling, mostly, with the intent to inflict pain, manipulate, or gain power over another person. However, it isn’t just limited to overt insults and direct attacks. It can be seen quietly through gaslighting, manipulation, or passive-aggressive behaviour. It can occur in various settings, such as personal relationships, workplace environments, or social media interactions. It by its very nature leaves no physical bruises, but its impact can be just as crippling.

Kamini Wadhwani, Clinical psychologist, Lissun, says, “I have witnessed firsthand, the disastrous impact of verbal abuse on individuals. The constant barrage of insults, criticism, and demeaning language can dwell deep into our core concepts of self by distorting our perception of self, ingraining the abusive words within the self, and thereby, perpetuating the cycle of self-defeating beliefs. As time passes by, these states have the potential to develop into clinically significant anxiety, depressive disorders, and even post- traumatic stress disorder. The abuse encountered can roar in the minds of survivors, heightening the state of hypervigilance, flashbacks, emotional reactivity, and triggering intrusive thoughts among other symptoms.”

How To Work Around Verbal Abuse?

The foremost way to recover is to seek support from trusted companions, family, or mental health professionals. “Mental health professionals can aid in working with self-related concepts, restructuring negative thoughts, and building healthy mechanisms. Moreover, learning to set and enforce healthy boundaries, engaging in nurturing relationships, and building resilience can help in overcoming the effect of verbal abuse,” adds Wadhwani.