Anxiety and Verbal Abuse

I feel for Troy, 42. In the midst of traffic or cramped places, he'd suddenly get too anxious. Often, his anxiety leads to uncontrollable panic attacks.

Heart palpitation. Severe perspiring. Overthinking. Confusion. A lot of disorientation. Troy has never understood or traced the roots of his recurring anxiety panic attacks.

In the course of therapy, he told his story. Since childhood, he has been exposed to verbal abuse that resulted in a lot of problems.

Daily at home, while he was still a little boy onwards, Troy was constantly yelled at. Name-called. Insulted. Disrespected. Unappreciated. Cursed and bullied.

Now a husband and father, he found the effects of his childhood wound influencing his adult life. They took the form of personal anxiety panic attacks, extending to his relationships and work.

The worst form of abuse is verbal. Verbal abuse is the same as emotional abuse. When someone goes through it over time, he may develop a mental illness. And anxiety disorder is the most common.

According to studies and evidences from neuroscience, verbal abuse has an impact on both hemispheres of the brain. It harms a person's self esteem, moods, and ability to make decisions.

Friend, be mindful of verbal abuse. If you're a victim yourself or you have a loved one manifesting strange behavior, go seek help before things go worse.