You can trip trying to get away and hit your head on the corner of a coffee table. Take abuse seriously. It is life-threatening. Physical abuse can cause death at the hands of your abuser, emotional abuse can result in death at your own hands. Emotional abuse systematically erodes self-esteem until you can no longer function effectively and you die slowly as a person.
Emotional abuse creates a vicious cycle.
Being abused makes you feel guilty, fearful, and helpless. This further undermines self-esteem. Both physical and emotional abuse are life threatening. Both must be taken seriously. No one deserves to be abused.