Books are important because they remind us that we’re not alone. Listed below are three very different books with one thing in common: emotional abuse. Each delving into different aspects of covert types of abuse these books are both personal and informative, allowing readers to connect with their authors on an emotional level while also simultaneously educating themselves through what they’ve been through.
1. Inside/Out by Joseph Osmundson
The openness of Inside/Out is both raw and real. Like all good writing does, it makes you feel. And in result, it is a narrative that will feel all too familiar to those who have been in a relationship like Osmundson writes about. It is both beautifully and creatively written, but it is the covert ways in which the relationship pans out that I find most important. Emotional abuse is covert, but those who have experienced it will recognize the signs in the details, an almost movie-like experience playing out in front of them while also simultaneously reminding them that they are not alone. Inside/Out drudges up a lot of emotions, all of which are incredibly important while mourning the loss of someone who silently and destructively abuses you.
2. POWER: Surviving and Thriving after Narcissistic Abuse by Shahida Arabi
POWER is a book that changed my life. For those reading, the first chapter feels as though the author has either been watching your entire relationship unfold or makes you wonder if you’ve somehow written it yourself. It is well researched and informative, detailing how malignant narcissists operate and how exactly they go about abusing their partners. It’s a read that has the ability to open windows when you’ve felt like all the doors have been shut, educating you so you know exactly what to look for the next time around. Because the beauty of having been in an emotionally abusive relationship is that you know what red flags to look for.
3. Unrequited: Things I Learned from Trying to Love the Wrong People by yours truly, Andrew Kendall
They say to write about what you know, but that doesn’t change the fact that Unrequited is a book I never planned on writing. After seven years of terrible dating experiences where I chose the wrong men time and time again I had reached my max capacity of bullshit. From this state of mind stemmed a book in which I was able to document almost each and every terrible experience that taught me something worthwhile: “That despite the pain each time my heart was broken, I would eventually come up for air in a sea of my own heartbreak.” It is a book I will always be grateful for because it is abuse and mistreatment transformed in hope that my story may benefit others who may have experienced similar, if not the same, abuse.
You can find out more about each book by clicking the title of the book.
