Abuse in Adulthood

The first thing to understand is please never downplay abuse in adulthood (or childhood for that matter), nor should you compare your abuse to anothers’, thinking that someone else has it worse than you. Abuse is abuse at the end of the day. And if you need help, you need help

Types of Adult Abuse

There are many different types of abuse and it is not uncommon for people to experience several instances of abuse at the same time, typical types of abuse can be categorised but are not limited to:

Domestic abuse/violence
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Psychological or emotional abuse
Family abuse
Social abuse including friends
Financial abuse
Discriminatory abuse
Organisational abuse

It is very difficult for sufferers to understand or identify that they are in an abusive situation, often others point it out but in the first instance if it doesn’t feel right then it probably isn’t.

Signs and symptoms that you are in an abusive situation – please be aware that you may feel a mixture of these symptoms or none, this list is not exhaustive.

Low self-esteem
Feeling that the abuse is their fault when it is not
Physical evidence of violence such as bruising, cuts, broken bones
Verbal abuse and humiliation in front of others
Fear of outside intervention
Damage to home or property
Isolation – not seeing friends and family
Limited access to money
Self-harming
Poor concentration, withdrawal, sleep disturbance
Excessive fear/apprehension of, or withdrawal from, relationships
Fear of receiving help with personal care
Reluctance to be alone with a particular person
An air of silence when a particular person is present
Withdrawal or change in the psychological state of the person
Insomnia
Uncooperative and aggressive behaviour
A change of appetite, weight loss/gain
Signs of distress: tearfulness, anger
Apparent false claims, by someone involved with the person, to attract unnecessary treatment
The person appears withdrawn and isolated
Expressions of anger, frustration, fear or anxiety