Emotional Abuse Test: 11 Signs of a Toxic Relationship Quiz and Questions to Ask Yourself

Psychological abuse is very good at concealing itself. Many stuck in emotionally abusive relationships will answer “no” if someone asks them if they might be in an unhealthy relationship. This fact is precisely why, sometimes, we all need to take an emotional abuse test and get honest with ourselves. 

Emotional abuse isn’t limited to only romantic relationships. You may be struggling with a psychologically toxic parent, boss or friend. These relationships have a way of wreaking havoc on your wellbeing and inner peace, often leaving you stumbling around in the dark as you futilely try to pick up the pieces and haphazardly put them back together. 

Knowledge is always power and will enable you to stop living in denial and unintentionally gaslighting yourself. So, take the toxic relationship quiz and face your reality. Get answers to am I being mentally abused, and don’t look back as you move towards your higher self. 

1. Possessive and Jealous Behaviours

Perhaps the most commonly misinterpreted sign of emotional abuse, is this person possessive of you? Do they want to know everything about what you’re doing and where you’re going? You may feel that this person will psychologically collapse and be unable to fend for themselves if you leave them or back out of their life to a degree. 

The problem is it’s so easy to mistake this possessive behaviour for ultra-caring. At first, you may believe that this person loves more than anyone else ever has in the past. Lastly, you notice that they are frequently jealous and appear to resent any attention you receive. 

2. Guilt Trips

Does this individual have a way of making you feel as though you are always in the wrong? Do you subconsciously change your behaviour to make this other person happy? Alternatively, perhaps you somehow end up feeling responsible when things take a bad turn. Take notice of the person’s language; do they inject emotion into otherwise mundane topics to change the outcome? Guilt-tripping indicates that all isn’t rosy in the test for emotional abuse.

3. Future Faking

Does this person make you believe that things will improve in the future? Has their behaviour or action disappointed you, but they’ve reassured you that it won’t happen again as they’re working on themselves? Maybe they make promises for a distant date or create an elaborate vision of how things will be once they sort something in their present that is holding them back. Emotional abuse quotes are commonly full of future faking. 

4. Poor Communication

How many issues are genuinely talked through and resolved in this relationship? If you approach this individual and say that you want to discuss things, how do they react? Do they seem happy to sit down and invest time to clear the air, or do they come up with an excuse for why they can’t talk with you? 

5. Blame Shifting

Do you take the blame when things go wrong to keep the peace? Does this person find many ways to shift the blame to you, even when they were evidently at fault? If someone systematically turns the responsibility onto you, they won’t pass the toxic relationship test. You may even wonder to yourself, am I abusive? 

6. Rapid Mood Changes

Can the environment and mood be perfectly calm and happy when this person becomes suddenly overcome with rage? Does their face contort very quickly into one of negative emotion? Often, you discover that the only way to improve the atmosphere is to praise this individual, which they respond to in an overwhelmingly positive manner. Be wary if you’re dealing with someone whose disposition switches at lightning speed. 

7. Emotional Neglect

Do you feel this person is indifferent to many aspects of your life? Perhaps you have to ask them to take an interest in something that affects you or instruct them on how to behave to support you? You sense that they’re not particularly bothered unless they are directly affected. 

8. Public Criticism

Does this person wait until you are in a public setting to make a jibe at you? Perhaps they tell you that it’s only a joke, or they were teasing and that you’ve misunderstood their intention. 

Do they make so-called jokes about your weight, finances, or other sensitive and personal topics? Emotional abuse quotes can easily be disguised as humour, which lets the abuser off the hook. 

9. Bad Listener

Is trying to get this person to listen to what you have to say challenging? Do they seem to be constantly distracted or seem disinterested? People invested in your wellbeing will always be willing to give you their time and attention. If you have to ask this individual regularly if they’re listening, it’s a red flag and a warning sign for anyone taking an emotional abuse test.

10. Undermining

Are you made to feel something is wrong with you or is your opinion continually dismissed? Perhaps they find subtle ways to compare you to someone else, the inference that you are the lesser of the two. After a while, your self-confidence takes a hit, and you become less sure of yourself. 

11. Threats and Intimidation

How do they respond if you’re feeling unhappy with the relationship and begin to voice this in person? Do they say intimidating things along the lines of their life not worth living or even threaten to kill themselves? Perhaps you sense that they may be reading your phone messages or talking about you to others in a bad light. You soon realise it’s a case of playing by this individual’s rules, or the relationship becomes strained. 

Final Thoughts On the Emotional Abuse Test

Did you recognise these behaviours as abuse in this toxic relationship test? Or did several take you by surprise? If you observe any of these signs, time to reevaluate your connection with this person and how you can best protect yourself going forward. Denial plays a substantial role in psychological abuse relationships, so you must get the support you may need to get through this difficult time. You may question, am I being mentally abused over and over and doubt yourself all you want, but sometimes external opinion and help are crucial.

Alternatively, you may have gone through the toxic relationship quiz and wondered, am I abusive? No one’s behaviour is model perfect, and you may have seen yourself in some of these ways of acting. If that’s the case, know that recognition is always the first step toward emotional healing and that change for most is possible. To start, read on how to manage your toxic behaviours and move on to the path of soul awakening and restoration.

If this test for emotional abuse was helpful and you want to know more on the topic ‘am I being mentally abused?’, head over to 6 signs you may be living with a narcissist for further information.