Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink. Today, we will learn about ten signs you
are emotionally damaged. Now, let’s begin
Have you experienced emotional pain and hardship in your life? Have you struggled
with intense feelings of loss, isolation, or regret? Emotional damage can be a tricky
concept to explain or define, especially for the people experiencing it. It’s something
that radiates outward and affects every aspect of your life. Even simple things
like daily routines and social relationships can be impacted by long-term emotional damage.
For example, let’s say you experienced a toxic relationship experienced years ago.
That emotional trauma may disrupt your ability to genuinely trust other people in your life. Even
though a friend or partner has given you no reason to distrust them, those old emotional wounds
consistently affect your thoughts and feelings. The worst part is trying to properly explain the
depth of your emotional hardships to friends and partners. You want to love and trust them
the way they deserve, but you just can’t — and that’s a difficult thing for anyone to explain.
Of course, this is just one example of emotional damage. There are as many kinds of trauma as there
are people in the world. Even though every emotional wound is personal and should be
treated differently, there are ways for damaged people to identify when something is not right
in their lives. Every person should learn to identify signs of emotional damage within their
own lives. That way, you can face and begin to heal the deep wounds left by past hardships.
Before we explain what emotional damage looks like, there’s one thing we need to make clear.
No matter what anyone says, an emotionally damaged person is not sick or abnormal. There
is nothing wrong with a person experiencing emotional pain, and it is no one’s fault that
they are struggling to cope with long-term trauma. They are reacting as anyone would to
a difficult and traumatic situation, and that’s not something worthy of ridicule.
There are, however, good and bad ways to cope with the pain in your life, some of
which do more harm than good. Many of these poor coping mechanisms are visible from the outside,
allowing us to identify when someone is struggling with emotional trauma. If you notice these ten
subtle signs in your life, you may be emotionally damaged, whether you realize it or not.
1. Hyperbolic Consequences
Emotionally damaged people regularly overthink small, insignificant decisions.
You struggle to choose what clothes to wear. You can’t decide what to do on the weekends or where
to eat for dinner. You wonder, “What if I make the wrong choice? What if everyone laughs at me
for doing, saying, or wearing something stupid?” You may recognize that your fears are unrealistic
or exaggerated, but that doesn’t stop you from getting nervous or feeling afraid.
The consequences of every decision feel imminent and real because you may be emotionally damaged.
2. Means of Displacement Many emotionally damaged people hear the
same question again and again. People ask, “Are you okay?” and you always say, “Yes, I’m fine.”
You know that isn’t true, and so do the people around you. Still, you shut people out,
pretend to be okay, and put on a fake smile so that no one will know how much you’re hurting
below the surface. You may be unwilling to say it out loud, but, if this sounds familiar,
you may be emotionally damaged. 3. Unexplainable Animosity
Some emotionally damaged people hold grudges against the people, places, and experiences
that caused them pain. Even if an activity isn’t directly related to your trauma, it may evoke
bad memories or unwanted feelings of regret. You may feel blind animosity toward people
who are generally happy, prosperous, or in love. At some level, it seems like they have
access to something you don’t. You may feel a pang of jealousy, resentment, or even anger.
Of course, it’s not this person’s fault. They haven’t done anything wrong. The rippling
effects of past trauma have left their mark on your life, leaving you emotionally damaged.
4. A History of Trauma Emotionally damaged people are often
haunted by memories of bad decisions, humiliating failures, or heart-wrenching rejections.
Those moments of trauma carve deep wounds inside you that take years to heal.
You may worsen your traumas by reliving failures and bad experiences. Like many people,
you may be searching for an answer, wishing you knew why bad things happen or what you did
wrong. If you spend your time ruminating over past mistakes, you may be emotionally wounded,
but that doesn’t mean you can’t change, improve, and move forward.
5. Defensive Explosions Are you touchy or defensive about certain
subjects? Do people avoid sensitive topics around you because they know you’ll react negatively?
These are common signs of emotional damage. Any mention of a sensitive subject triggers an array
of negative emotions inside you. All the feelings you’re holding onto bubble to the surface,
causing an impulsive reaction, as if you’re being threatened or deceived all over again.
Instead of pushing down your emotions, try exploring your emotions and communicating
to other people where your pain comes from. By freely acknowledging and vocalizing your trauma,
you can cope more effectively and heal those emotional wounds.
6. The Detriments of Isolation Emotional pain encourages many
people to withdraw physically and emotionally. After a bad experience, you may struggle with
the concept of love, trust, or intimacy. You may be afraid of putting yourself out there
or making an effort with others, fearing your investments will cause you more pain in the end.
So, you retreat from the world. You neglect your relationships and distance yourself from
those who care. This kind of isolation is usually a form of self-defense. We create
distance between ourselves and others to protect ourselves from pain. We hide inside our bubbles,
where no one can hurt us or let us down. The truth is that isolation only worsens
the effects of emotional trauma. Interacting with other people is one of the best ways to
cope with our emotions and overcome bad experiences. You may be an emotionally
damaged person. You may feel like retreating from the world at all hours of the day. However,
the people in your life have more to offer than you realize. But first… you have to let them in.
7. Emotional Exhaustion People who have internalized
psychological trauma may not be emotionally available to the people around them.
It’s common for emotionally damaged individuals to experience low levels of empathy and
demonstrate reckless or inconsiderate behavior. But your lack of empathy has nothing to do with
your personality or your inability to love or care about others. It stems from the constant
emotional exhaustion that you experience due to past trauma. You can’t empathize with other
people because you struggle to empathize with yourself. Unless you can confront your deepest,
darkest feelings, you may not be able to genuinely engage with the emotions of others.
8. Deprivation of Intimacy People who are emotionally
damaged may struggle to recognize their worth as individuals. They run away from opportunities to
find love or friendship because they don’t believe they deserve another person’s time or affection.
This can lead to greater feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and desperation,
making it challenging for emotionally damaged people to get back on their feet.
If you begin doubting your self-worth, it can be tough to change your opinion
of yourself. In many cases, emotionally damaged people blame themselves for problems in their
personal and professional lives. Even if they know that something isn’t their fault,
they feel a deep desire to punish themselves for those mistakes and deprive themselves
of the love they don’t think they deserve. If this sounds familiar, you may be emotionally
damaged, but the best thing to do in these difficult times is lean on your loved ones.
You may not think you’re worthy of love, but your friends and family feel otherwise. If you
let them, they’ll find every way to prove to you how much care and love you deserve.
9. Unreliable Investments If you’ve been lucky in life, you
may have friends, partners, or family members who love and respect you. Your partner proves their
love for you day after day. Your friends stand by your side. Your family is there for you when
it counts. Yet you struggle to make real emotional investments in the people who care about you most.
Why? Because you may be experiencing the residual effects of long-term emotional trauma. Any number
of traumatic experiences may make you unwilling to trust or invest in other people. But that’s not a
good reason to give up on your relationships. It may require a frightening leap of faith. You may
feel vulnerable and scared, but the people who truly love you aren’t going anywhere.
10. Questioning Reality
After a psychologically challenging experience, your mind may be swirling with questions.
For example, at the end of a relationship, you may reflect on every moment you spent with your
partner and wonder, “Was any of it real?” “Was anything the way I thought it was?”
This endless cycle of questions and doubts drives many people toward negative, even depressive
states. It shatters your confidence, destroys your motivation, and burdens your mind with hundreds of
unanswerable, self-destructive ideas. And that can leave you feeling hopeless and exhausted.
Unfortunately, this all-consuming feeling of emotional exhaustion
can quickly push you into a dark place. So, if you’re trapped in this painful cycle,
remember that what you’re feeling is valid and real. Instead of denying your feelings,
lean into them. Be upset. Express your honest emotions. Shout your questions out loud and
make your confusion known to the world. Feeling lost and hopeless does not make you a worthless
or depressing person. For now, you may be emotionally damaged, but like everyone else,
you are still finding your way. Thank you for watching TopThink and
be sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way.