9 Traits That Identify a Psychological or Emotional Abuser

What is the profile of a psychological abuser? What are the characteristics of an emotional abuser? Discover the most common traits of this type of abusive people.

A psychological abuser can be difficult to identify. The reason for this is that emotional abusers are usually people who have a tendency to ‘turn on’ or ‘turn off’ their abusive behavior in those situations that are convenient for them. So, how can we identify an emotional abuser?

What is a psychological abuser?

People with a psychological abuser profile They are usually individuals who seek power and control over their victims. Normally, the most common victims of this type of emotional abuse tend to be children, since parents usually use this type of attitude to completely dominate and control their children so that they do what they consider ‘right’.

The emotional abusers They seek to get their way, since they consider that their purposes are better or more correct than those of others. In fact, many people resort to this type of abusive attitudes because they are afraid of being controlled by others.

What is the profile of a psychological abuser?

There are many people who associate the image of a psychological abuser with the profile of a violent man. However, it is important to note that women can also be psychological abusers. In fact, the characteristics of a psychological abuser do not vary depending on gender.

1. Intolerant: A psychological abuser He is usually a rigid and intolerant person who does not respect the decisions or opinions of those around him. Normally, these types of abusers are full of prejudices and stereotypes, which ends up causing them to often react aggressively when something does not fit their plans or expectations.
2. Controller: One of the problems of a emotional abuser It is that he thinks that only his way of thinking or doing things is truly correct, so he must exercise control so that others submit to his will.
3. Think in terms of ‘all or nothing’: Others of the characteristics of a psychological abuser is that they interpret the world with the dichotomy of black or white, that is, they do not accept that sometimes there are nuances. This implies very rigid thinking that makes relationships with others difficult and causes continuous confrontations.
4. Manipulator: The psychological abusers They often resort to emotional blackmail to manipulate their victims and thus get what they want. Through this type of attitude, what they want is to destabilize the victim from an emotional point of view in order to access what they want.
5. Critical but not self-critical: The psychological abusers They tend to be mentally rigid people, which means that on many occasions they see the words or actions of others as an attack. Furthermore, this critical attitude towards others is not applied to themselves.
6. Suffer from emotional instability: He psychological abuser profile It is usually an individual who does not have much emotional intelligence, that is, they have little control and knowledge of their own emotions. In this way, they tend to be people who go from one emotion to another very quickly, which means being on an emotional roller coaster.
7. Low self-esteem: Although in most cases the emotional abuser It usually conveys an image of strength, the reality is that it uses this ‘armor’ to hide its low self-esteem. So much so that he uses his aggressive or manipulative attitude to subdue others always to hide his insecurities.
8. Insensitivity: The individuals who are psychological abusers They tend not to be very empathetic, that is, they do not put themselves in the shoes of their victims. This insensitivity is what allows them to manipulate and harm those around them without feeling guilty.
9. They make false promises: A psychological abuser He often makes promises to control the people around him. In this way, it is very common for them to lie in order to achieve their goals.

The emotionally abusive women or men They often do not have control of many of their abusive behaviors. For this reason, it is important to point out this type of attitude and go to a psychologist if there are psychological consequences due to it.

Personality disorders related to an emotional abuser

It is estimated that people with a psychological abuser profile They may be more likely to suffer from a personality disorder. This involves an individual developing hurtful and maladaptive patterns of thinking and behavior throughout their life.

• Narcissistic personality disorder: This disorder involves the perception of ‘deserving more than others’ as well as constantly seeking their admiration. People with narcissistic personality disorder often exaggerate their own achievements, as well as adopt an arrogant attitude towards the people around them.
• Antisocial personality disorder: This disorder shows a pattern of behavior that is mainly characterized by disregard for others or social rules. In this way, a psychological abuser with this perf il usually has a tendency to lie, ignore security and the law, as well as feel no remorse for his attitudes.
• Borderline personality disorder: This disorder involves having intense and unstable relationships due to poor impulse control.

How does a psychological abuser act?

The psychological abusers They are not always fully aware of the harm they cause to their victims. In fact, in some cases, these people adopt this way of behaving because it is the only one they know or because they do not have the psychological tools they need to relate or establish bonds in a healthier way. In many cases, it is very likely that these people have been victims of emotional abuse in their childhood.

In other cases, psychological abusers may be aware of the harm they cause but are not interested in stopping because their goals justify this behavior. This type of emotional abuser It is usually more dangerous since they usually have no limits regarding their goals.
In any case, the victim must know that these types of attitudes are not their fault and that they must work within themselves to avoid suffering the consequences of these types of relationships. In many cases, it is important to go to a professional psychologist to address it.