The lack of language to identify emotional abuse and its devastating effects among couples is a major barrier to recognition and treatment. From Charm to Harm breaks down this barrier by providing simple words and definitions that name and explain harmful interactions between intimate partners. Many of the those interactions are hard to distinguish from the normal experience of being in a relationship.
From Charm to Harm will empower you to recognize and describe emotional abuse tactics and the effects on you. It will provide you with ways to protect yourself and your loved ones.
- Determine if your mate is emotionally abusive and how you may be enabling the abuse.
- Find out how and why charm turns to harm when one partner has a deep-seated need to control the other partner.
- Discover why people abuse their lovers, why their lovers allow it, how it happens, and its aftermath.
- Learn how easy it is to get caught up in the oppressive cycle of emotional abuse and how you might be contributing to your own suffering.
- Learn how to stand up to an abusive partner, get treatment for both partners, and make the choice to leave or stay in the relationship.
From Charm to Harm will help you stop emotional abuse and claim your right to be loved and respected.
"Amy has written an important book that explains what happens when men and women play out their childhood wounds with their intimate partners. She puts words to the many and varied ways that people hurt themselves and others as a result. Her book is a valuable tool for those involved in emotionally abusive relationships."
—John Gray, PhD., Author of the phenomenal #1 bestseller, Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus
What's Inside:
In part one, the story of Susan and Jack shows how charm turns to harm in a relationship from the romantic beginning to the final parting. The story is told from the perspective of Susan who doesn’t understand why she is distressed and acutely unhappy in her marriage to Jack.
Susan is unaware of Jack’s emotional abuse because his tactics are difficult to identify and describe, and she doesn’t see his treatment as abuse. To her, the word abuse is unthinkable, but his manipulation of her thoughts, feelings, and behavior to feed his need to control her is abuse. Deeply conflicted, she struggles to comprehend who is at fault for the strife in their marriage. In her effort to improve the relationship, she enables Jack and contributes to his abuse.
Following the story is a list of all the controlling and abusive tactics Jack uses against Susan. There is also a list of the effects on Susan.
Part two names and defines more than one hundred emotional abuse tactics, the effects on the abused, and their unintentional contributions to the abuse. Each tactic and effect is portrayed with brief stories based on the experiences of real people. Original illustrations depict the interactions.
Part three provides questionnaires to determine if a relationship is abusive, how the abuse is affecting the abused, and how the abused may be enabling the oppressor. Part three also explains how to establish boundaries of protection from abusive mates and get help for both partners.
"This book is so profound I have no words to adequately praise it! The author puts into words what I’ve been struggling to understand for all my adult life. To say this book is a life changing experience is a grand understatement. I highly recommend this book to anyone who even slightly feels they may be the victim of emotional abuse. This book should be required reading before people get into relationships with the “charmer”!!!"
—Christofer L.
Excerpt from Chapter One
A familiar wave of heat rose from the pit of Susan’s stomach and flushed her face with humiliation. She paused to collect herself and managed to smile at friends gathered around her dining room table. “Excuse me. I … uh … I’ll be right back,” she stammered as she turned away. She hurried down the hallway, slipped into the bathroom, and locked herself in.
Susan’s tears brimmed and spilled down her cheeks. She questioned herself. Why can’t I be clever enough to think of a witty retort when Jack puts me down? He said it was just a joke.
Susan had worked for two days to delight her friends with a gourmet meal and prove her culinary skills to Jack. He waited until she began to serve dinner, the crucial moment when his remark would hurt her most. “Poor Susan,” he said. “She tries her best to cook, but unfortunately, she just doesn’t have it. Eat at your own risk.” He sneered.
The remark played over and over in her head, punctuated by Jack’s usual response when his “jokes” upset her. “You’re too sensitive. Don’t take things so seriously.”
Buy the Book"The author has penned a well written book on how to spot and name abusive tactics in interpersonal relationships and how the one being abused contributes to the abuse. A must read for anyone who has been in an emotionally abusive relationship. Thank you Ms. Bear for sharing your knowledge and experience on this important topic."
—D. Kay M.
How to Use the Book
- Flip through the book to find the tactics and effects that may be happening in your own relationship and how to get help.
- Use the book to get support from family and friends by helping them comprehend the hidden nature of emotional abuse and the harmful effects of it.
- Share the book with loved ones who are emotionally battered to help them gain relief and take action.
- Help young adults be alert to the hazards of involvement with an abusive person.
- If you are in the process of divorce, take the book to your legal representatives to educate them about your abusive mate, so they can better represent you.
- Psychotherapists can use the book as a therapeutic tool to help clients gain deeper insight into their experience with abuse and work toward recovery.
From Charm to Harm is available in hardcover, softcover, and e-book formats and can be purchased through online book retailers and local bookstores.
Buy the BookQuestions and Answers
There are many books on the market about emotional abuse. Why should someone buy your book?
Why did you take this approach?
What was your motivation in writing this book?
Want to learn more about me and my programs (including psychotherapy)?
You interviewed a lot of women and men for this book. Is there a common theme among individuals who have emotionally abusive partners?
How should people use the quizzes in your book?
Is the book helpful to people who have relationships with abusers who are not their partners, such as parents, siblings, or adult children?
"Written with mastery by a woman who personally understands the devastating effects of emotional abuse and professionally understands how to guide individuals who are hurting to a place of hope and healing. Clear, compassionate and complete!"
—Phyllis
