Emotional abuse

There is no single accepted definition of emotional abuse which, like other forms of violence in a relationship, is based on power and domination.

The following lists indicators that you can use to gauge whether you are being subjected to emotional abuse (adapted from [1]):

You understand their feelings, but they never attempt to understand yours
:*They dismiss your difficulties or issues as unimportant or an overreaction
:*They do not listen to you
:*They always put their needs before yours
:*They expect you to perform tasks that you find unpleasant or humiliating
:*You walk on eggshells in an effort not to upset them
:*They ignore logic and prefer histrionics in order to remain the centre of attention
:*They manipulate you into feeling guilty for things that have nothing to do with you
:*They attempt to destroy any outside support you receive by belittling that support in an effort to retain exclusive control over your emotions
:*They never take responsibility for hurting others
:*They blame everyone and everything else for any unfortunate events in their lives
:*They perceive themselves as martyrs or victims and constantly expect preferential treatment.
Emotional Abuse Indicators
Rejection
Rejection occurs from a refusal to acknowledge a person's presence, value or worth, It is achieved by communicating to a person that she or he is useless or inferior and by devaluing that person's thoughts and feelings. For example, continually treating a child differently from siblings in a way that is unfair and suggests dislike for the child.
Degradation

This occurs from the use of insulting behaviour, such as ridiculing, name calling, imitating and infantilizing. It aims to diminish the dignity and self-worth of the person, and affects their sense of identity in a demeaning way. Examples include: yelling, swearing, publicly humiliating or labelling a person as stupid; mimicking a person's disability; or treating someone as though they were much younger than they are and preventing them from making normal decisions.
Terror

This is the evocation of extreme fear in a person, done by coercion through intimidation. It can include placing or threatening to place a person in an unfit or dangerous environment. Examples include: making a child watch violence perpetrated on people the child cares about or a pet; making threats to abandon or kill a child; threatening to damage a person's possessions; stalking.
Isolation
Isolation is the limiting of a person's freedom to engage in normal association with others. It may involve physical confinement. Examples include: preventing an older child from participating in decisions about their own life; locking a child in a cupboard or in a room alone; disallowing a partner or older child from using their own money or making financial decisions; withholding contact with grandchildren; depriving a person of mobility aids or transport.
Corruption and Exploitation
Corruption involves training a person to accept ideas or behaviour that is illegal or transgresses cultural mores. Exploitation involves using a person for advantage or profit. The grooming of a child to serve the interests of the abuser rather than those of the child may occur prior to actual exploitation. Examples include: child sexual abuse; permitting a child to use alcohol or drugs or see pornography; or enticing a person into the sex trade.
Emotional Unresponsiveness

This entails the failure to provide care in a sensitive and responsive manner and is manifested by being detached and uninvolved, interacting only when necessary and ignoring a person's mental health needs. Examples include: ignoring a child's attempt to interact; failure to show a child affection; treating someone as though they are an object, "a job to be done".
Emotional Abuse Indicators

Emotional abuse can be difficult to observe when it is perpetrated in the privacy of someone else's home, or in a closed institution. However, personal awareness and understanding of the issue is key to recognizing it. The following is a list of possible indicators of emotional abuse:

depression
:*withdrawal
:*low self-esteem
:*severe anxiety
:*fearfulness
:*failure to thrive in infancy
:*aggression
:*emotional instability
:*sleep disturbances
:*physical complaints with no medical basis
:*inappropriate behaviour for age or development
:*overly passive/compliant
:*suicide attempts or discussion
:*extreme dependence
:*underachievement
:*inability to trust
:*stealing
:*other forms of abuse present or suspected
:*feelings of shame and guilt
:*frequent crying
:*self-blame or self-deprecation
:*delay or refusal of medical treatment
:*discomfort or nervousness around career or relative
:*substance abuse
:*avoidance of eye contact