Chacha Eke’s Marriage: Expert Shares How to Spot Emotional Abuse Hiding in Plain Sight

• Mental health expert Duke Ezikpe Mma says normal relationship stress differs from emotional abuse, which involves deliberate control and harm through tactics like gaslighting and manipulation.
• Citing actress Chacha Eke’s experiences, Mma noted how unresolved grief can make individuals vulnerable to emotional abuse, especially after major personal losses like bereavement.
• Mma stressed the importance of recognising emotional abuse cycles and urged better awareness to distinguish healthy relationship challenges from damaging, long-term psychological harm.

In light of actress Chacha Eke's recent public revelation about her troubled marriage, mental health expert Duke Ezikpe Mma has drawn attention to the complexities of relationship stress and emotional abuse.

Speaking to Legit.ng, Mma explored the fine line between normal relationship tensions and emotional harm, urging readers to recognize the often-hidden signs of abuse.

While relationship stress is a natural part of any shared life, Mma pointed out that not all stressors are inherently damaging.

"Normal stresses are not particularly negative in themselves, but they can become challenging if not managed effectively," Mma said.

The specialist gave examples of these normal stresses: financial disagreements, household responsibilities, communication issues, and differing personal needs, and explained that while these are common in relationships, when left unmanaged, they can lead to ongoing conflict and emotional distress.

Emotional abuse, in contrast, he said, involves behaviors that intentionally undermine an individual's mental well-being and exert control over them.

"When abuse happens, it is always about establishing and demonstrating power and control over someone," he asserted, emphasising that the aim of emotional abuse is not just to hurt, but to control the victim.

Drawing from Chacha Eke's struggles, Mma pointed out how the emotional toll of losing both parents and a child can leave individuals deeply vulnerable to manipulation and abuse.

"People who are not emotionally stable can be triggered by just anything," Mma said.

In discussing the forms of emotional abuse, Mma identified manipulation and gas-lighting as common tactics, explaining that gas-lighting involves psychological manipulation where the abuser causes the victim to question their perceptions and memories.

"Gas-lighting gets its name from the 1944 film Gaslight, in which a husband tries to drive his wife insane by manipulating her perception of reality," Mma noted.

He elaborated that this behavior includes denying previous agreements, blaming the victim for the abuser's actions, and minimizing the victim's feelings.

Mma also discussed the "cycle of abuse," which he describes as a repetitive pattern involving tension, incidents of abuse, brief reconciliation, and calm before the cycle repeats. This cycle, according to Mma, creates a toxic environment where the victim feels emotionally drained, confused, and trapped in a cycle of abuse.

Lastly, Mma hammered on the importance of distinguishing between normal relationship stress and emotional abuse, stressing that while stress can be managed through communication, emotional abuse has long-lasting and damaging effects.

"Recognizing the difference between these experiences is crucial for fostering healthy relationships and addressing the detrimental impact of emotional abuse," Mma concluded.

Chacha Eke opens up on mental health struggles

Legit.ng recalls that Chacha Eke shared her personal experience with mental health on Instagram. The actress discussed a viral video of a 12-year-old boy who destroyed his parents' property after his phone was seized.

She expressed sympathy for the boy, calling for parents to address his possible mental health issues. Drawing from her past, Chacha emphasised that she, too, had been in similar situations, wrecking household items.

Eke noted the importance of recognising mental instability early, urging the boy's parents to seek professional help.

Source: Legit.ng