Abuse is also…

Abuse is not always a shout. It can be a smirk in front of a crowd while your soul winces in silence. It is the slow erosion of dignity, carved away by hands that once claimed to love you. It is the way they step too close, not in intimacy but in conquest, claiming territory that was never theirs. It is the constant hum of criticism, a thousand little cuts that bleed you out in invisible ways. It is being turned into the joke they tell, the fool they create for their own applause. Abuse is when your feelings are brushed aside like crumbs on the floor, unworthy of being seen or gathered. It is the confusion they plant, making you wonder if you're too sensitive, too much, or somehow to blame. It is hearing “you’re crazy” when all you did was ask to be treated with respect. It is being made to carry the weight of their anger, their betrayal, their wounds, as if you caused the storm they brewed. It is the cruel twist of sarcasm used not to tease but to slice. It is the insistence that they know best telling you what you should wear, say, think, or believe. Abuse is domination disguised as concern, manipulation disguised as love. It is control over what you eat, who you see, where you go, and who you become. It is the slow undoing of your freedom, your joy, your sense of self. And it is the silence they demand afterward, as if your pain is an inconvenience to their comfort.