What's worse Emotional Abuse or physical abuse?

Question

Abuse is wrong period. Which do you think does more damage though?

Answer 1

Emotional abuse keeps you in the phsyical abuse. Emotional abuse is worse because not only are you fighting the physical abuser but also yourself.

Answer 2

Physical abuse can also produce mental anguish, which is hard to heal.  They are both bad, obviously.  Emotional abuse sticks with you longer.

Answer 3

both are terrible, but i personally think emotional does more damage because physical scars can possibly go away but mental scars last forever.

Answer 4

Physical, since most of the time physical leads to emotional...

Answer 5

depends on the severity, but usually physical abuse makes more of a toll. And sexual abuse is the worst abuse of all.

Answer 6

Physical.  Emotional comes in at a very close second.

Answer 7

So far in life, I can say I have never been physically abused.  However, I have suffered through much emotional abuse, both mental and verbal.  It turned me into a verbally abusive person.  I found myself saying evil and untrue things to people who I got in an argument with because I was so used to be cut down that I wanted to insult whomever I was arguing with as much as I could.  But I learned that I was just taking my built up aggressions out on the wrong people.  And I realized that I do not enjoy hurting people's feelings.  I made a resolution to quit being so verbally abusive when someone set me off.  I do think that both types of abuse is bad.  But I think that physical is probably the worst.  This is because when you are physically abused, you are also emotionally abused.  But when you are emotionally abused, you are not being physically abused.  

Answer 8

My sister brought that up recently.  She's having some difficulties now thinking about our past.  It was pretty screwed up.  Anyway, she was saying that it would be easier if we had just been hit because it's so much easier to explain to people what went on.

I've never really been physically abused except for the one time that my ex-wife put a leather belt around my neck and started pulling on it.  It's weird because my life was so screwed at the time I sort of wish she went through with it.  I was actually laughing.  But now, looking back, I'm wondering if that was just due to oxygen depletion.  Apparently people get euphoric and that's the big danger.

They're both pretty much equal to me.  I think I'd rather be emotionally abused though because you're basically emotionally abused anyway when you're physically abused.

Answer 9

EMOTIONAL Not to minimize physical abuse at all, but bruises and broken bones can, and usually do heal.

When it comes to dealing with the pysche of an individual, I believe the effects can be far reaching and sometimes too deep to ever heal.  

Very sad.  

Answer 10

I think emotional abuse is worse.  Over time, hopefully one can heal from physical abuse.  Emotional abuse is for a lifetime.

Answer 11

Emotional...I've been through both. Emotional totally breaks your spirit. Being told that you are good for nothing, that no one would want you after already having kids, or just that noone would want you anymore. Being insulted about your body, and being told how stupid you are. I'd rather have a slap in the face. I've also been physically abused. I've been hit, kicked, choked..and so on. I'd rather be physically abused than emotionally. The body can heal, it's alot harder for the mind to heal.

Answer 12

Emotional pain,

Answer 13

Physical wounds can heal & you can get scars erased or altered by surgery or some other means.

But the emotional trauma BEHIND how you came to get those scars can't be erased so easily.

to be berated by a loved one because of THEIR own insecurities/emotional defects is much more damaging.  Depending on the person the emotional "baggage" can take years of mental "re-tuning" for the abused to understand it was not their fault.

Parents who unknowingly say to their children they are "stupid"; call them M__Fers, B**ches, @ss3s, and say other derogatory terms like "slow" "you wont amount to nothin'", "fatty", etc... can cause the worse kind of emotional abuse because children look to adults for many things including the nuturing of their spirit.

The damage from emotional abuse is probably the REAL and underlying cause for the major illnesses in this country (USA).

They do not feel good about themselves and on a subconscious level and are making themselves ill.  Not because they want to or because they are aware but because they have been steeped in the abusive situation they need help to realize they need to break out of the abusive mold

Answer 14

Emotional

Answer 15

Emotional. If you never heal out of it, you pretty much become filled with unnecessary anger.

Answer 16

Emotional. No doubt.

Answer 17

Oh, physical, of course. Although emotional abuse can lead to suicide. They both are really disturbing.

I think that physical abuse includes emotional abuse.

Answer 18

Emotional Abuse is far worse than Physical!! physical you can recover from much quicker but emotional ,,,,It can take YEARS to recover!!

http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/types/em...

http://www.preventelderabuse.org/elderab...

http://www.melanietoniaevans.com.au/arti...

I was verbal abused at school, and those words still hunt me today!! years after. I've also being Emotionally abuse from my family over the years, and very few friends to contact to.

I'm now 25yr, I never thought i'd make it to 18 years,I've come close to losing my life because of the emotional ****, I'm fighting to save my self and My family!!

Answer 19

Emotional Abuse leaves scars that can only be healed through therapy, plus the person who suffers the abuse doesn't forgive and forget...

Answer 20

both are pretty bad.  I've never been physically abused, but I have been emotionally, and it was pretty damaging.

But I survived

Answer 21

Emotional because pyhsical pain goes away, but emotional pain can mark U forever and stay with U all ur life.

Answer 22

emotion because emotion abuse causes physical abuse

Answer 23

Emotional. One nasty thing said to a person is like  a slap in the face. However, when I was in school I was made fun of constantly for no reason. Finally I punched my bully in the face and he lost 2 teeth. I'm still laughing up to this day. He started crying and I pushed him down so he ran away from me. Lesson learned. He never even looked at me again.

Answer 24

Emotional cuz i dont get hurt that easily physically

Answer 25

No matter how one may see it; both are as worse as the other..affecting self esteem,ones personal identity,and person-hood.

Answer 26

Given the fact that you survive the physical abuse. The emotional abuse will never leave the brain. One would be reminded of the physical abuse and all the pain that goes with it. In a sense, reliving the entire experience over and over.

Answer 27

I think it's harder to recover from emotional abuse

Answer 28

Emotional because it stays with you a lot longer then any Bruises from physical abuse.

Answer 29

phsical abuse can heal

emotional abuse may never heal

Answer 30

Physical