EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE: WHAT HURTS US MOST

The debilitating power of emotional violence is not only in the humiliation it inflicts. Its victims are also made to feel helpless, and often become ill. Its pernicious presence can be felt everywhere, at work, in the family, at school, or in relationships; its perfidy lies in its casual, incidental use. All this combines to make it difficult for victims to fight back effectively. Until now.

Be it the employee called in to a crisis meeting by their manager, the child punished by its parents withdrawing their love and support or the woman whose husband makes fun of her in front of their friends, emotional violence damages our psychological and physical wellbeing, sometimes irreparably. It causes stress hormones to be released that lower the pain threshold and weaken the immune system. Victims are also at increased risk of depression and panic attacks.

Yet the overall social impact of emotional violence is often under-estimated. Although there is hardly a sphere of our lives where we’re safe from its humiliating effects, we can empower ourselves to counter the potential damage it can cause. Based on the latest scientific research, Werner Bartens’ accessible, supportive book shows us how.