Member-only story
Why Victims of Abuse Stay With Their Abuser
11 Steps to Break Trauma Bonding.
Most people think that abuse victims stay with their abusers because they are scared of what will happen if they don’t, but there is something else going on.
Trauma bonding is the attachment, an abused person feels for their abuser, specifically in a relationship with a cyclical pattern of abuse. The bond is created due to a cycle of abuse and positive reinforcement.
After each circumstance of abuse, the abuser professes to love, regret, and otherwise tries to make the relationship feel safe and needed for the abused person.
This positive reinforcement makes it difficult for the abused person to break free from the relationship because they are afraid of losing that sense of safety and love. This trauma bonding is why the abused to stay with their abuser.
Signs of trauma bonding
There are many signs and symptoms of trauma bonding, but some of the most common include:
- Feeling like you’re always “walking on eggshells” around the person — You never know when they’re going to blow up or lash out at you, so you…