We tend to think of emotional abuse as something that lives in the mind. It is insults, gaslighting, and manipulation. But the body keeps the score. You cannot separate your nervous system from your biology. When you live in a state of chronic fear or hypervigilance, your body undergoes physiological changes that can last long after the relationship ends.
Survivors often find themselves battling mysterious ailments years later, not realizing they are the aftershocks of the trauma. The stress hormones that flooded your system for years have a corrosive effect on your organs and immunity. Understanding this connection is crucial for true healing. Here are six ways emotional abuse affects your physical health years later.
