Do you think hitting your child is a form of abuse? do you think it leads to mental illness?

Growing up, I had to deal with being hit by a belt. my mom used my dad's belt, it was thick and was used whenever I did something wrong. Some of those beatings left me with welts and bruises and wouldn't be able to walk for days without being in pain. I thought it was normal, but now looking back, I realized it wasn't normal and absurd. Each time my parents yelled at me, I feared I'd get another whooping. I was actually scared of them. There were days where my mom would whoop me and then when my dad came home for work, I'd get a whooping from him as well, all in the same day.