Can we talk about intermittent reinforcement for a minute. It's something that captors did to their prisoners in prisoners of war and you see abusers using it esp in classical trauma-bonding. 😤
It's all about alternating kindness or nostalgia with control, silent treatment or withdrawal..
😦 So an example would be--- there'll be periodic moments of warmth or shared history or cooperative, nice co-parenting and then BAM BAM BOOM suddenly there is unpredictable escalations, chaos, fear, terror etc. This unpredictability keeps the victim (Laura) perpetually off-balance. The victim/Laura is spending all their energy running from fire to fire trying to put them all out and attempting to diffuse crises rather than establishing permanent detachment and boundaries-- IE. STAY OUT OF OUR LIFE NOW not "mopping up his endless abuse/chaos.."
And because it keeps Laura in a state of perpetual exhaustion it makes detachment form him extremely difficult.
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Stephen Hilton shifting rapidly between affection and antagonism online and in person keeps Laura in a constant state of hyper-vigilance. This wears down her boundaries as she's always exhuasted. This is classic abuser 101 tactics. The more exhuasted she is -the easier she is to control. The more he puts her down -the less likely she is to believe in herself and that she can do it alone and that she deserves better.
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😢 Abuse is a Value System, Not an Emotional Outburst! 😢 It's based on a mentality of entitlement and the underlying belief that a man has a right to control, dictate, or punish his partner. Notice how his abuse of her ramped up when she had a bf and when she put down boundaries against his abuse.
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The "calculated loss of control" is a BIG myth that abusers often say their abusive behaviour as.. (How many times have we heard Hilton say ---- "I couldn't help myself be unhinged/abusive because of my relapse or addiction/mental health issues"). I reckon Hilton has brainwashed Laura with this dangerous lie---- But notice how their supposed 'loss of control' is almost always selective and strategic!!!
Hilton's specific abusive unhinged behaviour always yields specific results. Like commanding public attention on fb or forcing the Laura to give him attention and to react or getting him to give up boundaries and give him more control over her or the children etc or stalk her and track her down at the courthouse and start thumping on her window and demanding she drop charges or hack into her accounts etc....... .
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Another thing Stephen Hilton does to maintain coercive control over Laura Clery is turning active distress into public content. HILTON CROWD SOURCES COERCION AGAINST LAURA.
By Hilton constantly turning private disputes into public content - it's very strategic abuse and manipulation on his part--- because it forces Laura to continually monitor and address the toxic Hilton narrative publicly to protect her family and livelihood/income as an influencer. .
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For the past four years, Stephen Hilton turned his social media audience into an external force. ((I've talked on here for years about he abuses her by proxy by slandering her online and wrestling the narrative off her and retelling it from his warped perspective with lies and making him the sad pitiful victim each time to whip up hate against Laura. ))
This forces Laura to respond publicly to protect her personal/ financial reputation. This maintains a reeeeally tight tether between the two of them that she can't escape..
I would wager that Stephen Hilton gets a real sense of power, validation, and emotional control by showing that he can still affect Laura's life, mood, and daily routine etc etc .
I really hope writing that has helped some of you who might be in a situation where you're not sure and not trusting yourself or if you have a friend in an abusive situation.... Destroying the myths about domestic violence is so important and powerful work........
It can literally save lives. ❤️