10. You Freeze Up.
People react to abuse and other forms of trauma in a variety of ways: You have the option of confronting the abusive person or fleeing the situation. If none of these ways work or you are unable to utilize them, you may choose to freeze instead. When you’re feeling helpless, the freeze response kicks in. It frequently involves disassociation because emotionally separating oneself from the abuse can reduce the severity of the abuse, successfully numbing some of the pain and misery you are experiencing.
Freezing can be beneficial in some instances; It isn’t as effective when you have the ability to flee from danger. If you believe there is no way out of the relationship, you may choose to stay in it rather than seek help to get out securely on this later.
9. You Have Trouble Making Decisions.
You may have low self-esteem and confidence as a result of a pattern of devaluing and criticism. An abusive partner may directly call you stupid or uneducated, even if they do so in a deceptively friendly tone. “Honey, you’re so dumb, what would you do if you didn’t have my assistance?” Over time, you may begin to absorb these insults and connect them to your self-perception, causing you to continuously second-guess yourself.
Gaslighting can also make you distrust your ability to make decisions. If you’re duped into believing you imagined events that truly occurred, you may begin to distrust your own interpretation of events. This ambiguity can have a long-term impact on your ability to make judgments.
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