He told her he had been under enormous stress and that he hated himself for the way he had acted. Source: Dina Gavrilenko/PixabayCognitive Dissonance Can Make It Harder to Recognize Abuse When It HappensThe psychological conflict Kathy was experiencing has a name: cognitive dissonance. For victims weakened by abuse, the easiest way to resolve their cognitive dissonance is by ignoring the behavior and burying the negative emotions that come with it. During the cycle of trauma, the victim’s brain physically changes for the worse in three ways. As a result, the victim's brain cannot process new information logically, and their attention centers solely on the event or task at hand.