Category: Abuse

Blog posts, news articles, and other resources from The Center • A Place of HOPE

Childhood Bullying and Its Long-Term Psychological Effects

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 15, 2024

Explore how social media filters impact mental health by shaping self-image, fueling comparison, and affecting self-esteem. Learn ways to navigate social media mindfully for a healthier, more positive online experience.

How to Tell if Someone Is Gaslighting You

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 18, 2024

Gaslighting can undermine your sense of reality. Learn to recognize the signs, understand its impact, and discover empowering strategies to protect yourself and rebuild confidence in your perceptions and experiences.

How To Heal From Emotional Abuse

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 16, 2024

When we talk about abuse, it’s often physical or sexual abuse that comes to mind. However, emotional abuse is more prevalent than either of these. The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that 95% of their calls relate to emotional abuse[1].   What is emotional abuse? The National Domestic Violence Hotline...

Narcissistic Abuse and Codependency: What’s the Link?

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 16, 2024

You’ve probably heard of the term “narcissist.” The formal term to describe a narcissist is “narcissistic personality disorder,” and it’s an official mental health diagnosis that’s included in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual. Not everyone with narcissistic personality disorder is abusive, and people can and do heal from this condition. However,...

Is Emotional Invalidation a Form of Emotional Abuse?

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 16, 2024

Emotional invalidation dismisses or minimizes someone’s feelings, often causing deep psychological harm. It can manifest through criticism, sarcasm, or outright denial of emotions. Repeated invalidation can damage self-esteem, leading to anxiety, depression, and difficulty forming healthy relationships. Recognizing this behavior is the first step toward emotional healing and setting healthier boundaries.

The Effects of Emotional Abuse

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: February 3, 2025

Emotional abuse can leave deep, lasting scars, affecting self-esteem, relationships, and mental health. Learn to recognize the signs, understand its impact, and explore healing strategies to reclaim your confidence and well-being.

Four Attachment Styles in Relationship Dependency

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 18, 2024

Attachment theory highlights the importance of a strong, healthy attachment in childhood. This important attachment comes at the earliest stages of life to a parent or primary caregiver, usually a mother. This first, fundamental attachment, or relationship, sets the stage for all relationships going forward.

Learning to Feel Again After Childhood Abuse

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: October 14, 2021

Loss produces pain, so using the term “numbing out” is not a coincidence. So many of the survival strategies used by abused children are meant to do just that—provide a way to numb the pain.  You may think you’re avoiding the pain, but you’re not. The pain is still there,...

Rediscovering Childhood Through Your Adult Eyes

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 10, 2024

When you were growing up, you may have been told over and over, in a variety of ways, that you weren’t good enough, smart enough fast enough, thin enough, or just plain not enough of anything to please your parents.  In order to numb this crushing sense of failure and...

Is There More to Love Than What You've Experienced?

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: November 7, 2023

One of the core traits of a dependent personality is difficulty accepting challenging or disturbing truths about self or others out of a need to maintain the status quo.

Ten Questions to Ask About Childhood Abuse

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 13, 2021

Resilient as children are, childhood abuse, in its various forms, can decimate a child's sense of self. Here are ten questions to consider when processing the struggles associated with childhood abuse.

Encountering a Sexual Manipulator

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 6, 2017

Sheila sat on her bed and cried out in frustration.  What was she going to do?  The fear she'd been carrying around inside for the past six months finally was realized.  He's made it clear that if she wanted to get her promotion, she'd have to "cooperate" with him.  Sheila...

Recognizing the Put-Down Artist in Emotional Abuse

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: December 13, 2021

“So you really think you can get that job, huh? What a joke! Why in the world would anyone want to hire you?” Jeff’s older brother sneered at him with disgust.“Well, I guess because I’m a hard worker and I’m willing to learn,” Jeff responded angrily, feeling that familiar knot...

Identifying Spiritual Abuse in Relationships

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: September 30, 2015

Spiritual abuse is used as a way to manipulate and control, and it usurps divine authority in order to promote self, which is the opposite of what God does.

Growing Up Without Emotional Security

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: March 17, 2025

Growing up without emotional security can impact relationships, self-worth, and happiness long-term. Learn about the lasting effects, recognize signs from your own childhood, and discover how to rebuild emotional security and inner peace.

How the 5 Major Types of Abuse Link to Eating Disorders

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: October 21, 2021

Many times you have probably asked yourself, How did my life ever get this way? Often at the core of every eating disorder, and many disordered eating patterns, lies some sort of abuse or abusive situation—verbal, emotional, physical, sexual abuse, or a combination of these. When this abuse is added...

How Emotional Abuse Leads to Depression

By: Dr. Gregory Jantz  •  Updated: January 8, 2025

Introduction Emotional abuse is a form of psychological harm that erodes self-esteem and creates lasting emotional scars. While its effects are often invisible, its consequences can be severe, frequently leading to depression. Understanding how emotional abuse contributes to mental health disorders like depression is crucial for recognizing, addressing, and ultimately...

Load More Posts
All Posts Loaded

Get Started Now

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
By providing your phone number, you consent to receive calls or texts from us regarding your inquiry.
When Would You Like To Start Treatment?*
Main Concerns*
By submitting this form, I agree to receive marketing text messages from aplaceofhope.com at the phone number provided. Message frequency may vary, and message/data rates may apply. You can reply STOP to any message to opt out. Read our Privacy Policy
SSL Secure
HIPAA Compliant
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Whole Person Care

The whole person approach to treatment integrates all aspects of a person’s life:

  • Emotional well-being
  • Physical health
  • Spiritual peace
  • Relational happiness
  • Intellectual growth
  • Nutritional vitality