Nanice Ellis – Did you know that more than 20% of the global population is in an abusive relationship with a partner or family member? This sounds like a big number, until you consider that somewhere around 80% of the world’s population is in an abusive relationship with themselves – and most don’t even know it.
The Stranger in the Mirror is You!
The best way to see if you abuse yourself is to imagine that someone else is treating you the way you treat yourself. How would you feel if …
- Your friend spoke to you, the way you speak to yourself?
- Your significant other neglected you, the way you neglect yourself?
- Your co-worker judged you, the way you judge yourself?
In most cases, if others treated us the way we treat ourselves, we would feel abused, and we would be right. If it’s not okay for others to treat us abusively, why is it okay to treat ourselves this way?
Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but trust me, it really, really is! The harm we unconsciously do to ourselves manifests as issues, challenges and missed opportunities, and when self-abuse goes on day after day, sooner or later, it shows up in our health and finances.
But, why do we abuse or neglect ourselves?
Understanding Self-Abuse
Self-abuse is the natural consequence of withholding self-love, because when we don’t love ourselves, we instinctually don’t treat ourselves well, but what prevents self-love?
The reason why so many of us have huge blocks, when it comes to self-love, is due to the fact that we have been falsely taught that we must prove our worth, over and over again, before we are worthy of love. This dynamic causes most people to go through their lives secretly feeling unworthy, and, therefore, withholding self-love.