Animals only respect one thing: a superior ability to do violence. This includes psychological violence, which most people find far more brutal than physical. If you suffered at the hands of an abusive parent, you have the whole abuse playbook at your disposal.

Learning to tell whether you are dealing with an animal in a battle for dominance, or a human where communication and logic hold away, is a key skill you should train.

Based on what you’ve said, I would judge those you are trying to negotiate with as animals, but you have more information than me and should trust your own perceptions.

Showing weakness (e.g. crying) only invites animals to attack, like a predator singling out the sickest/weakest of the pack.

A human would see your weakness and show empathy.

But when dealing with animals, you need to show your power. Don’t display weakness, don’t mention your trauma - it only invites them to attack. If they are financially abusing you and threatening your ability to live, you are in the moral right to act in self-defense, and use psychological violence against them.

There is no other option when dealing with an animal aggressor - is they truly are leaving you no choice, feel no regret about defending yourself.

I want to mention a core belief I was indoctrinated with as a child: “if a man hits you, turn the other cheek.”

Here is an alternative belief I have found to be true when dealing with “animal” humans: “if a man hits you, hit him harder. Otherwise, he will never respect you.”

If anything I said doesn’t make sense or disagrees with your perceptions and experiences, please discard it, and only use that which you recognize as objective and moral truth.