Isolation

Isolation is when some one isolates you from others. They keep you away from your family and friends. They can go with you everywhere you go so you are never alone or able to have contact with anyone else. Controlling what you do and when you do it. Not letting you talk on the phone to anyone without them listening or even answer the door to your own house when alone. Not letting you go to family functions or to work that you enjoy doing. Keeping you with them all the time, so they can control your life. Holding your hand when you leave the house as a way to keep complete control of you and to keep you compliant to them in every way. They want to control everything that is happening in your life. They could never let you be alone or with anyone else but them or to have another type of support. Some abusers even lock the house so victims can not leave the house without their approval. This creates totally isolated from society and the outside world where they are really being kept in captivity by their abuser. They use all the tools of abuse on you to keep you alone, afraid and in the cycle of abuse with them. Like put-downs, snide comments, criticism in front of others to keep you in line and doing the right thing. Your life is controlled by them with their approval of who you have contact with. You can be isolated both geographically and socially by them. They could move you away from your friends and family or any support system that you had. What they want is for you to only have contact with them and them only so they rule over your life. Saying that they really care about you but this is a lie and a cover. They could tell lies about you to others so they do not want to support or have contact with you. What they want is to make you feel unworthy of love and support in your life. They can put on a big show when in front of others. This is done so the people who see you think that you are doing alright and being taken care of when you are really not safe. The person isolating you could ring you obsessively to check on you, spying on you, watching you, they could also have cameras that are watching and monitoring every thing that you do, they can also stalk and check your social media or stop you using this service at all. They will blame you for any problems that are there so you feel unstable and unsafe, not really welcome, or wanted or worthy of love in your life. You could feel anxiety, panic attacks, depression, fretful, tense, on edge, unsure, frightened of everything with lots of negative thoughts in your head. If you spot someone trying to isolate you from others it is important to speak out and stop it before it gets out of control.

Moral: Don’t let abusers isolate you from your friends and family.