Category: Coercive Control
Weaponized Attachment and Emotional Captivity Isn’t Codependency
Weaponized attachment can make someone feel like an emotional hostage, especially when an abuser uses closeness, withdrawal and intermittent reinforcement to maintain control. What looks like codependency may instead reflect trauma bonding, coercive control and emotional captivity. People often describe those who struggle to leave controlling relationships as codependent, needy or addicted to chaos. But…
Coercive Control Is About Taking Away Someone Else’s Freedom
Coercive control is not simply about someone being difficult or controlling. It is much more than that. Coercive control is about taking away someone else’s freedom. It involves manipulation, control and other methods, such as intermittent reinforcement, which I wrote about here. It begins when one person interferes with another person’s freedom to choose, decide…