| I hear people say, "My partner is controlling and he | | | | for mutual respect and trust. |
| puts me down." Then they add, "It is abusive, but it's | | | | 4) Verbal and emotional abuse go in one |
| only verbal." | | | | direction-they escalate over time when the expected |
| The question I have is, how do you feel about that? | | | | outcome of being abusive is not accomplished. |
| How does it make you feel when spoken to as he | | | | 5) The content of the verbal abuse is not about you; |
| she does? And how do feel about yourself in relation | | | | rather it is more about the abuser. |
| to your partner? | | | | 6) Verbal and emotional abuse doesn't stop on its |
| The impact and the import of the verbal abuse and | | | | own without appropriate intervention. |
| controlling behavior, while being personal, will invariably | | | | 7) The tendency toward domestic abuse can pass |
| be destructive. | | | | from one generation to the next. |
| Here are some hard-core facts that you will want to | | | | If you are in a relationship in which your partner |
| know about verbal abuse. So when you catch | | | | belittles you, undermines you, manipulates you, puts |
| yourself saying, "...it's only verbal," consider this... | | | | you down, calls you names, smoothers your will, then |
| 1) Verbal emotional abuse is a disregard for self and | | | | take a hard and honest look at your relationship. |
| other. | | | | Seek to understand the dynamics of emotional verbal |
| 2) Verbal abuse leaves memory magnets of | | | | abuse and how you can interrupt this vicious cycle. |
| continued self and other loathing. | | | | The sooner you do, the happier you'll be. |
| 3) Verbal emotional abuse undermines the potential | | | | |