Verbal abuse and anger seem to go together. In fact, one common stereotype of abuse is that the abuser must have been angry when the behavior occurred. This makes sense because aggressive behavior is the easiest to see and understand. When it comes to verbal abuse, subtle psychological mind games are more difficult to pinpoint and explain than direct insults and putdowns.
There is more than one way to deliver verbal abuse, however, and the delivery method matters. When I was still with my ex-boyfriend, I recognized three ways that he used to deliver his verbally abusive insults: the “hot method,” the “covert method,” and the “cold method” (“Forms of Verbal Abuse: Insults and Their Delivery“). Each had a different effect on me.
In this article, I will discuss “the hot method” in more detail. This method of delivery was triggered by his hot-button personal issues and tied to his highly-aroused emotional state. It manifested itself as anger toward me.
Read more on my HealthyPlace bi-weekly blog here: How Verbal Abuse and Anger Combine to Trap Victims
Please note that this content belongs to HealthyPlace so the full article is published there exclusively. Thank you for taking the time to read it. I look forward to your comments!
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