Being in an abusive relationship and finding a sense of normal after things are over is not easy. This kind of thing changes a person and most of those changes are quite painful/hard to face.

While you will change in some uncomfortable ways, moving on from a toxic relationship is one of the most important things you can do. It will provide you with the power you need to move forward even if you don’t realize it immediately. The pain you’re feeling or have gone through will pass and while it will change you it will also show you exactly what you should never allow in your life again.

Below I am going to go over some of the more uncomfortable or painful changes we go through when we face something like this. Emotional abuse can be quite damaging and while it is often overlooked by others you should not neglect yourself on an emotional level. Take care of yourself and really put your own needs before those of others.

8 Things That Change Once You’ve Faced Emotional Abuse:

1. You slow things down, big time.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you want to slow down. You want to make sure that even on a mental level you’re distancing yourself from others. You don’t jump into anything and are much more willing to give yourself a moment to stop and think things through.

2. You become quite suspicious of others, in general.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you want to question everything. You stop being so trusting and willing to be there for others. You close yourself off in ways that you otherwise wouldn’t.

3. Your idea of a relationship in general changes.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you change the way you look at your relationships in general. You don’t address the idea of a relationship in the same way and aren’t even able to really find the common ground that you had in the past. You have to work through this to figure out what a relationship might mean for you in the future.

4. You stop being willing to open up.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you will be much less willing to open up and let people in. You will close yourself off and cut ties with toxic individuals. You don’t allow people to come into your life without proving themselves to you, period.

5. Your self-esteem drops big time.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you notice a serious self-esteem drop. You don’t feel like you’re as comfortable in your own life as you should be and perhaps become quite down and out. This is something you are going to have to work through. The more you work at this one the more things will end up playing out for you more properly.

6. You don’t want to get too close to other people.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you stop wanting to get close to others. You don’t want to surround yourself with people anymore, the truth is, you just want to be left alone.

7. You move forth with a lot of baggage.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you tend to carry a lot of baggage. You second guess yourself and allow the pain you’ve been through to weigh you down. The happy go lucky person you once were is no longer who you are.

8. You realize what you should not settle for.

When you’ve been through emotional abuse you learn what you should and should not tolerate in a relationship. You learn who should and should not have a place in your life. While it is a hard lesson to learn, it is one well worth learning.