Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to gain and maintain control over another person. It can involve intimidation, manipulation, financial control, and sexual coercion — all of which can deeply affect a person’s mental and emotional well-being. During Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to acknowledge the lasting psychological impacts of abuse and to support survivors in their healing.

When we talk about mental health, we’re talking about how we feel, think, and connect with others. It affects how we see the world and ourselves, and it’s shaped by everything we go through — including trauma like domestic violence.

Often, this connection between domestic violence and mental health starts way back in childhood. Kids who grow up in homes where yelling, threats, or constant tension are the norm absorb all of that. Whether they remember every detail or just carry the weight of it, those early experiences shape how they handle stress, relationships, and even their own emotions. As trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk puts it in The Body Keeps the Score, trauma doesn’t just live in your memory — it lives in your body, changing how your brain and nervous system work.

And here’s the thing — domestic violence isn’t always physical. Even when there’s no hitting, the psychological and emotional toll still causes real, physical reactions in the body. Stress from ongoing abuse can lead to anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health challenges. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association reports that about half of domestic violence survivors develop PTSD. This kind of chronic stress can also affect your physical health, increase the risk of addiction, and shape how you approach relationships in the future.

You really can’t talk about mental health without talking about domestic violence — they’re deeply connected. The World Health Organization even calls violence a key social factor that affects mental health, and its effects can be passed down through generations. Kids who grow up in violent homes often carry those emotional and psychological scars into adulthood, which can affect how they form relationships later in life.

Healthy relationships involve compromise, communication, and knowing when to step back and cool off. But when control and fear rule the relationship, those options disappear. In abusive relationships, there’s no safe space to express feelings or take a break — everything is about control. And while it’s true that some people who abuse others may struggle with mental health issues like addiction or personality disorders, it’s important to remember: abuse is a choice. Mental illness might make things worse, but it doesn’t cause abuse. The choice to control or harm someone else lies with the abuser.

Survivors, meanwhile, often end up living in survival mode. That kind of constant stress reshapes how they think, feel, and react — especially when it starts young. According to research, including van der Kolk’s, childhood trauma can even change how our genes express themselves, making us more vulnerable to mental and physical health problems down the line. And when someone grows up in an environment where abuse is normal, they may be more likely to enter similar relationships as adults — continuing the cycle.

At Turning Point, we hear about this generational cycle all the time. But by understanding it, we can find ways to interrupt it. That understanding helps us better support survivors and guide our services where they’re most needed.

 

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Credits:
Alec Consigny, Children’s Domestic Violence Advocate, BA, MHP, CDVP

Alec graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Roosevelt University in 2021. Currently, he is in the process of completing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Roosevelt University. Alec has been an employee of Turning Point for the last 3 years, he is a Domestic Violence Children’s Advocate. Alec obtained his Domestic Violence Professional certification in 2022. During his time at Turning Point, he has had experience within the Partner Abuse Intervention Program, crisis intervention, case management, as well as Children’s counseling. Alec specializes in providing psycho-educational counseling to children who have witnessed violence between caregivers throughout the course of their development.

Editor: Cameron Schott, Marketing & Outreach Associate