In relationships, what are some normalized emotionally abusive behaviors from women that men might not recognize are emotionally abusive?

SimpleGuy4Life · 2025-11-14T08:05:12+00:00

Throwing temper and fits of rage and then claiming its "hormones". I don't see any women raging at my workplace because there is a consequence.

Late-Hat-9144 · 2025-11-14T06:31:02+00:00

"Happy wife, happy life".
Constant unfounded accusations of cheating, requiring proof of not cheating and still claiming cheating when youve proven you're not.
The idea that you have to abandon your family if your wife doesnt like them, but not wanting to see your wife's family is seen as "less than the bare minimum".
Having your vulnerability weaponised against you.
Weaponing your children against you.
Getting into an argument then demanding you be the one to leave the shared bedroom/house.
Weaponising the police to forcibly remove you from your home, when you've done nothing wrong, just because she doesnt want to live with you.

Sure-Restaurant9610 · 2025-11-14T13:21:25+00:00

I'm sometimes surprised, or maybe even a bit shocked, reading men's stories where they basically confess between the lines that they do everything for their wife's happiness, but the same isn't coming back their way.

I've seen a post where a grown up man had to ask his wife of several years for a permission to go out with his friends. Or there was a post from a man, married for 20+ years, who's wife never initiated intimacy, and when he tried to point it out, he was only told what HE should do more (be more romantic, do more foreplay, etc.) and if he did, it didn't change anything anyway. You could feel how he was starved from the natural need to feel desired, and maybe even a bit broken inside.

Although "abuse" might be a too strong word to describe these stories, in some way it basically is some form of abuse. Slow and subtle, suffering in silence.

It's sometimes sad to read such stories.

Merentha8681 · 2025-11-14T16:19:18+00:00

Redoing chores around the house. I.e. after the man folds towels and puts them away. The woman comes behind him undoes his work and refolds the towels the "right" way.

abramN · 2025-11-14T16:36:22+00:00

"I don't want to hear any complaints!"

"oh yeah father of the year"

"grow some balls"

"suck it up"

Which_Ad_3917 · 2025-11-14T08:27:43+00:00

Neglect.

BEEZY086 · 2025-11-14T14:03:34+00:00

I have a bunch of friends who i no longer see anymore because their wives won't let them out. These guys have to sneak out so that they can see their friends. On top of that, friends are never invited over. Because of this, i have plenty of friends and family whom i no longer see.

These behaviors are normalized in my neck of the woods. But at the same time, if a husband were to lockdown their wife in a similar way, it would be considered abuse.

Thatoneshortgoblin · 2025-11-14T09:39:16+00:00

(Im a woman myself but still,)

I recently watched my (ex) sister (I just don’t consider her family anymore, not bc of this she’s mentally ill and it’s a whole thing)

She absolutely put this poor dude through the wringer, like holy shit he’s gonna a have so much truama.

She’d guilt trip him

Constantly claim he was toxic (idk if she was but holy shit was she just as If not more)

Claim she was gonna hurt or off herself, he’d call me all worried asking me to check on her and she’s 100% fine just going abt her business not even upset or crying !

Lied to him abt me and by bio dad.

Pitted him against others

Made herself the victim constantly.

Sexualized herself then got mad at him for being sexual (I really wish I didn’t know that but I got stuck in the middle and read some really toxic shit she wrote to him)

Was just generally obsessive but not in the “cute clingy relationship” way, in the unhinged way.

Block him for days, weeks, even a month at a time.

Use abusive language.

Could be more this is what I had to witness.

I finally got the poor dude to block her and I told him to run for the godamn hills.

Reasonable_Elk3267 · 2025-11-14T19:03:36+00:00

Getting mad when you ask her to stop yelling at you.

IceCorrect · 2025-11-14T11:30:33+00:00

financial abuse

Falconoflight777 · 2025-11-14T10:13:30+00:00

Im gay and i don't understand why men tolerate such humiliating and shitty treatment from their wifes and gfs... Like in front of other people amd me (who are not even close friend to them, like almost stranger) on small party, wife demands some stupid shit from him playfully like to fix some home crap (yea, when everybody include her are resting and try to have fun), he smiled and say that he is tired and want to rest - she immediately become hostile and with fucking hate say to him "you are tired?! - go fucking kill yourself is you so tired" and guy just smile more and try to comfort her while she continued to be hostile. After she calm down and act like nothing happened... Like i was grew up in pretty healthy family (not ideal, parents sometime yell at each other and on kids, but nothing serious), and i was never in serious heterosexual relationship so for me every time i see shit kike this its a fucking shock, and i dont know why the fuck men tolerate crap like this all the time.

Former-Dragonfly2226 · 2025-11-14T22:41:40+00:00

Playing the victim. Claiming abuse from previous relationships.

Material-Campaign618 · 2025-11-14T21:16:51+00:00

Telling you that youre not doing well, like how women like to tease men on dates when they hear something they mildly disagree with or are emotionally detached and passing harsh criticisms, but in the home. Like she is the final adjudicator of your moral and ethical worth. Society lets women do this, talking down to men, as if we are their servants. The absolute, empty headrd arrogance of it all

Tigre_feroz_2012 · 2025-11-15T02:49:03+00:00

Maybe not abusive, but this is certainly unfair, unkind, manipulative & disingenuous. When you're discussing something & you bring up a valid point, and she responds with "I'm not going to argue". And then she refuses to talk more.

She's now unilaterally ended the discussion & falsely painted you as the bad guy when in reality you merely have an opinion that she disagrees with & she can't refute.

Pretend-Storm4566 · 2025-11-15T03:54:52+00:00

I'll make an OP on this.

dsakc12 · 2025-11-17T06:00:24+00:00

Withholding intimacy and love in many different forms. I signed up to be monogamous and not celibate. Women often use sex as a tool to manipulate whether it’s a punishment or to get what they want. Some men are starving to be close and connect but she’s gaslighting him to believe that he’s not doing enough as she doesn’t make him a priority. He has to keep providing his end of the deal but hers is elective. Guys either feel used like a bait and switch or they develop a learned helplessness

Sure-Restaurant9610 · 2025-11-14T11:03:16+00:00

I'm sometimes surprised, or maybe even a bit shocked, reading men's stories where they basically confess between the lines that they do everything for their wife's happiness, but the same isn't coming back their way.

I've seen a post where a grown up man had to ask his wife of several years for a permission to go out with his friends. Or there was a post from a man, married for 20+ years, who's wife never initiated intimacy, and when he tried to point it out, he was only told what HE should do more (be more romantic, do more foreplay, etc.) and if he did, it didn't change anything anyway. You could feel how he was starved from the natural need to feel desired, and maybe even a bit broken inside.

Although "abuse" might be a too strong word to describe these stories, in some way it basically is some form of abuse. Slow and subtle, suffering in silence.

It's sometimes sad to read such stories.

Pretend-Storm4566 · 2025-11-15T03:53:25+00:00

Google gave the below 5 signs of an abusive relationship. Now, ask yourself this - how many women have you dated who did at least one of them?

What are the 5 signs of emotional abuse in relationships?

Emotional abuse is when a partner:

Verbally humiliates you.
Demands all your attention.
Controls your time or who you see.
Blames you for everything that goes wrong.
Threatens to harm you, your children or family, or your pets.

Title	In relationships, what are some normalized emotionally abusive behaviors from women that men might not recognize are emotionally abusive?
Author	thhrowawaayyyyyyyyyy
Upvotes	99
Comments	39
Date	November 14, 2025 4:39 AM UTC (8 months ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/1own6x4/in_relationships_what_are_some_normalized/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/in-relationships-what-are-some-normalized.1566488 https://theredarchive.com/post/1566488

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