If you're from an 'abusive family', do you think you have a sixth sense about other people who were abused?

I’m not very good at picking out other people who were abused, but I think that’s partially because I was gaslighted about it for many years. A friend of mine who was abused and who had the resources to face up to it right away picked me out very quickly as someone who had been abused, and one of my colleagues who was abused was able to do the same. They both pointed out some signs to look out for, so I’m trying to get better at recognizing who around me might have been abused. But like I said, I’m not very good at it yet.

Yes definitely.

I am similar to you. I came from a broken home. I can kind of sense people that came from a similar situation to me, or at least it has made me more aware and open-minded.

It’s an empathetic sense, knowing when people are wary of the same things you are wary of. It’s that edge of walking a fine line, not knowing when shit will come down, trying one’s best to keep everyone happy so it doesn’t blow up in your face.

Wouldn’t surprise me at all. I wasn’t abused, but even I sometimes pick up on certain types of abuse without it directly being said. I’m almost never wrong when I suspect. I do think I probably miss it a lot too though, where I have no idea there was any abuse.

Yes, but I don’t always know it. Like @zenvelo there’s a lot of empathy about it. But I don’t always see that happening.
Unfortunately, I’m also attracted to people with similar vibe and coping mechanisms and that putting two similar people together can be double trouble when trying to solve problems.

Nope, then again, I haven’t been particularly empathetic since Junior year in high school. Though I can general tell I someone is hiding something or is pretty stressed or nervous about something.

I wasn’t abused, in fact I had a great childhood, but when I come across someone either in real life or on the internet who is unusually harsh, mean-spirited or punitive, upon discussing their lives I often find that they have been the subject of abuse, either physical or emotional.

Yes, but it’s not a sixth sense. It’s a subtle reading of cues.

I think we often use subtle clues to identify people that have had a life experience similar to ours.

“Gaydar” writ large.

:)

Of course, a lot of it is empathic or not.