After almost four years, this will be my last blog entry for the "Verbal Abuse in Relationships" blog here at HealthyPlace. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my posts, add their comments, and share the information I wrote each week. 

Unfortunately, many people who have been in a verbally abusive relationship will continue to have verbal abuse triggers later in their lives. Sometimes, these situations create stress and bring back the same feelings of vulnerability for the individual who experienced the verbal abuse. Even if the present relationship is not abusive, it can be hard to adapt and move on from verbal abuse when triggers happen. 

A verbal abuse healing journey can be a struggle for many individuals. Moving away from an abusive relationship takes time and effort. Often, a person who has suffered verbal abuse may react negatively to situations even when knowing the proper tools and strategies to use. A person's healing journey will not be a straight and narrow path. Instead, there will be times of ups and downs with unexpected curves. The struggle of a healing journey away from verbal abuse is worth it, though.

The idea of a "verbal abuse victim" may carry negative connotations. A person who experiences verbal abuse may come across as a helpless victim or as someone exaggerating their situation to receive attention. Unfortunately, how others view verbal abuse victims can change how people react. Rather than getting the support and help a person needs because of verbal abuse, an individual's needs may be ignored or minimized.

Comments about verbal abuse can help or hurt. People can be generally helpful, even when they hear of a verbally abusive relationship. They may offer words of support or advice they think are beneficial to the situation. Often, these people mean well, but sometimes, their comments about verbal abuse are not helpful or well-received. There can be a fine line between supporting a victim of verbal abuse and minimizing their experience. 

Handling others' reactions to verbal abuse can be challenging. Managing a verbally abusive relationship is difficult, especially when an outsider provides their opinion on the situation. Listening to reactions from others dismissing the severity of the problem can cause feelings of anger and resentment. Someone who is the regular target of verbal abuse may seek out support from others only to face avoidance or skepticism.

Unfortunately, retail and service workers are often the target of verbal abuse. No one deserves to be called names, insulted, or threatened, especially while doing their job. Sadly, verbal abuse in retail and service professions is becoming more frequent in many restaurants and stores.

Professionals can help you deal with, recover, and move away from verbal abuse with therapy. But is therapy the only way to heal from a verbally abusive relationship? With so many tools and resources available, some people may wonder if therapy after verbal abuse is the best route for them.

Trauma splitting (a type of emotional detachment) can be a common side effect after facing verbal abuse. This coping mechanism can happen to individuals of any age. However, children with verbally abusive parents will often develop trauma splitting to separate their normal personality from the traumatized one. 

For some people, an all-or-nothing mentality can be one of the possible results of verbal abuse. However, it isn't just verbally abusive actions that can cause this. Anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem are also commonly linked to an all-or-nothing mentality.