Isolation
Isolation is the process of being cut off from people who care about you. It’s the slow erosion of your support system. It’s being separated from friends, family, community…
Emotion: Isolation
The Abuser's Best Tool
Definition
Isolation is the process of being cut off from people who care about you. It's the slow erosion of your support system. It's being separated from friends, family, community. Isolation is the abuser's best tool because it makes you dependent on them.
WHAT ISOLATION CAN LOOK LIKE
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Losing touch with friends and family
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Having limited contact with the outside world
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Being controlled about where you go and who you see
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Feeling like no one cares about you
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Being cut off from your community
HOW ISOLATION WORKS
When you're isolated, you have no one to turn to. No one to tell you it's not okay. No one to help you leave. Isolation makes the abuse feel normal. It makes you dependent. It makes escape seem impossible.
HOW ISOLATION MIGHT SHOW UP IN YOU
You might notice yourself not talking to friends or family. You might have stopped attending social events. You might feel like you have no one to turn to. You might feel completely alone.
ISOLATION DOES NOT MEAN
Being isolated doesn't mean you're unlovable or unwanted. It means someone has been working hard to separate you from people who care. You can rebuild your connections. You're not as alone as you feel.