If you, or someone you care about, is in an emotionally abusive relationship, you probably already know all about how it feels, but did you know there's more to it than just that? Did you know the damage it does is not just mental, it affects the body negatively, too? And, more importantly, did you know you're not alone?

Physical Effects of Emotional Abuse

According to a study published by the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, or JABFM, There is a strong correlation between emotional abuse and the common physical and emotional complaints of emotionally abused women.

It's important to understand just how linked, how connected your psyche is to your physical health, because if you are letting someone make you feel bad, like you're not good enough, then you are letting them damage your body, not just your mind and your spirit. If you say, "As long as he doesn't hit me, I'll stay." or anything like that, then you need to know, the emotional abuse is hurting your body just as much - even more - than if he had punched you in the gut.

You Are Not Alone

According to the website, Statistic Brain, 25% of all women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. Experts feel the number of emotionally abused women is far higher - because emotionally abused women do not call the police, and they don't go to hospitals to get wounds treated.

For the most part, doctors are only just beginning to note the correlation between emotional abuse and physical illness, and very few emotionally abused women have the emotional courage to readily admit the problems to their physicians.

How to Escape

If you are ready to make a move, and reclaim your life, start by keeping yourself safe, and educate yourself about the condition of codependency and being a victim. Education, and understanding you are not alone, that you are in fact, normal, and a victim of someone else's abnormality, helps you grow stronger.

Visit websites about emotional abuse, domestic violence, and codependency to learn more. If you're worried he'll find out, use incognito mode or clear your browser's history when you're done. Read books about it - if you can't afford to buy them, get them from your library or look for free ebooks about it online. If you can get for an hour now and then, visit a counselor or a pastor to find help.

You don't have to be a victim, and as cliche as it sounds, love is not supposed to hurt - mentally or physically. If it does hurt, then it isn't really love anyway. There is so much that goes into making a person emerge as a victim, that it takes a lot to break the pattern. Read everything you can about the type of relationship you are in, and study examples of others who have escaped similar situations.

For more details about codependency and escaping unhealthy relationships so you can rewrite your life story, visit the Treatment 4 Addiction website, or pick up a copy of Why Women Pick Losers and Jerks by Jim Hedges, or one of Melody Beattie's books on codependency.

Image courtesy of MorgueFile.