If you are one of those people who consider themselves to have a strong personality or a solid character, you need to be careful. Being strong does not mean you haven't or won't succumb to the perils of emotional abuse. No one is faultless or invincible.
Beware Of The Survivor Mentality
Because you are emotionally strong and have a lot of love to give, you might be presenting yourself game to opportunists or emotional vampires.
Do not think yourself immune or unbeatable, just because you have a mindset that you've overcome various difficulties. You may be a survivor, but you are not infallible.
Sometimes, we overcome emotional challenges because of a mix of a hardy character, our persistent will, the love and support of family and friends, and even plain, old dumb luck.
Strong People Do Not Always Have What It Takes
Strong people have a tendency to overestimate their tenacity. Having conquered a lot of problems and complexities, they tend to think their collective experiences and wisdom are enough ammunition against the enemy.
But what if the enemy is yourself?
What if you could see in plain sight that your heart is being chewed to pieces by someone you love and trust and you just stay put?
What, because of a streak of foolishness, masochism, and misplaced loyalty, you end up with a hollow voice and a dark vision to yourself?
You will end up a victim of emotional abuse.
Paranoia As A Skewed Sense Of self-Preservation
Because of the altering effects of trauma, you will set up walls to guard your self-esteem and set impossible boundaries that close anyone off. That is because you don't trust yourself anymore, and neither can you trust the other person.
Your self-preservation instincts have become erratic and highly sensitive to the point of paranoia. It has turned against you. You think it is doing its best to protect you, but it will malign anyone who tries to get involved with you.
You are off-limits to both genuine and fake people. Being paranoid is a sign of trauma and having an undefined set of boundaries is a sign of low self-esteem and a lack of personal awareness.
These are the two extreme ends of the psychological spectrum of a person who is a victim of emotional abuse.
Dominant vs Submissive
No one person has all the answers and defenses to overcome the manipulation and assault of an emotional vampire, especially when love is involved.
Every relationship is prone to one person being dominant and the other being submissive. The danger here for emotional abuse is imminent when a person does not regard their partner as their equal. The danger is evident, when a person thinks they are superior to anyone.
They will impose on who you are, what you need, and what is best for you. They will blame you for the wrong things that may happen in the relationship. Once you have given your power away, you relegate yourself to literally becoming their inferior.
