Children are highly sensitive to their environment. I believe that a child's mental and physical health can be directly affected by their surroundings. Knowing this, we must do something to help children who are exposed to verbal abuse during this critical stage of their lives.

There are dozens of web pages and support services that you can find in every major city to help women dealing with verbal abuse. Unfortunately, the traditional female victim is a common scenario that many can empathize with, but it isn’t the only one. Boys and men are a large part of the unrepresented abuse victims in society today.

As a victim of verbal abuse, it can be challenging to look past the hurt and focus on the positive aspects, especially if you are in the thick of the situation. One way I found to help me heal and keep moving towards a more positive environment is to open communication about abuse with my loved ones and those around me.

It can be extremely tough to talk about mental illness, especially for individuals who suffered abuse and self-stigma, who may not feel comfortable being vulnerable. When you start the conversation about emotional wellbeing and mental health treatments, unfortunately, many individuals still prefer to avoid the subject entirely. Being open and honest with others outside of my close circle about my mental health is still a struggle for me most days.

Individuals who have faced abuse can tell you all about survival mode. For myself, there were years where I existed strictly to survive. I was not moving away from the abuse or making any intentions of changing my circumstances. Unfortunately, for many victims, this is a realistic and frightening scenario. 

Having healthy relationships is vital for individuals of all ages. Although, victims of verbal abuse may have a hard time finding someone to build a proper connection with. I know that because of the verbal abuse that consumed my past, my personal relationships were not always the best. After years of therapy, I believe my low self-esteem and decision-making skills contributed to the terrible relationship choices of who was in my life.

If you are leaving an abusive situation or are trying to put one behind you, congratulations. Finding the strength to do what is best for you can be difficult, but it is worthwhile. However, recovering from abuse, whether verbal, emotional, physical, or otherwise, is not easy, and the path can be full of triggers or roadblocks. 

Recovering from verbal abuse can be a challenging journey, even if the abuse is in your past. For myself, even decades after I distanced myself from those who are verbally abusive, I can become triggered by others who may not be intentionally abusive, but I interpret it as so.

The father-son relationship is a critical one as a boy grows into an adult. A negative male role model may alter the way a boy handles stress and deals with adversity. For example, when a father uses verbal abuse to correct his son, feelings of inadequacy and anxiety can be present into adulthood.

How a mother cares for her children can directly impact how they handle future relationships, especially when it comes to boys. A boy may learn empathy, emotional regulation, and self-confidence from his mom. However, when the connection between these two contains verbal abuse, he may show aggression towards others, be anxious, or even deal with depression.