In our previous conversation, we explored the "invisible prison" of coercive control. Now, let's shine a bright light on the very bricks and mortar of that prison: emotional and psychological abuse. While physical violence leaves visible marks, this form of abuse targets your inner world—your mind, your emotions, and your very sense of self.

Determining what constitutes coercive control and abuse can be very confusing; even finding a clear definition is difficult. This article gives a broad overview of the types of abuse and some real examples. Each of the types of abuse will be discussed in more detail in my upcoming blogs.

“Is this normal conflict, or is something fundamentally wrong?”

Learning to distinguish between healthy, cautionary, and unhealthy relationship dynamics is a crucial form of self-care. Think of it as an emotional toolkit. To help you build yours, let’s explore the concept of relationship flags: Red, Amber, and Green.