"I'll give you something to cry about" *HEAVY trigger warning*

[GoSlash27]

 All, trigger warning. Do not highlight the text unless you are in a good place.
 I have been mulling over what was most psychologically damaging during my first experience of abuse, which required rehab to relearn how to engage with my environment and speak. The interminable months locked or trapped in a stifling room with no human interaction, the physical/ emotional abuse, the neglect, or the abandonment.
 I have landed on the physical abuse. Not just being beaten into mere "compliance" or "obedience", but beaten into *silence*. Beaten into fear of making any sound whatsoever. The only way to avoid that punishment amidst all of the other factors is to just shut down completely and dissociate; go catatonic and just... sit there. Silent, listless, unaware. For months. It's the last ditch effort to survive.
 My apologies if this is in the wrong place. I didn't know where else to put it.

 Best,
-Slashy   

[sanmagic7]

my heart goes out to you, slash. here's a gentle hug, if that's ok. 

[NarcKiddo]

It's awful.

To my mind, the worst psychological damage from abuse comes from abuse that denies you your very personhood. When you are forced to exist and not exist at the same time. A young child can be pushed into that state in any number of ways given their already powerless status. I was pushed into that via emotional abuse but it takes a specially evil person to use physical means against a powerless child. I don't know how anyone could do it and I am very sorry you had to endure it.

[TheBigBlue]

Slashy,
I'm so sorry that little boy had to survive that. No child should ever have to disappear just to stay safe.

I wish we could go back and wrap that young version of you in the warmth and protection he deserved all along.

I'm really glad you're not sitting in that room alone anymore. 💛