Everyone tells you that if you need to reach out you can. Well I did, many times, a lot of people didn't care. Growing up, my father was verbally abusive to me, my mom, and my brother. On the outside we were a picture perfect family, sweet kids, awesome mom, hard working dad, kids were well rounded and had good grades. On the inside, was pain, a mother struggling to keep her kids happy, and kids who had to raise themselves.

I don't care what anyone says, verbal abuse is real, it is just as real as being hit. Words can cut you just as bad as a knife can. Words do mental damage, the words eat at you from the inside out. The old saying " sticks and stones may break my bones but words will not hurt me" isn't completely accurate. Verbal abuse happens more so than physical because you can't see it, you can see bruises from a hit or slap but you can't see the pain or anguish that someone goes through.

A lot of people told me that I was too sensitive, that it will make me stronger, that since my life's not in danger that nothing can be done. The reason I am writing this is so others know that they do have options, that they don't deserve this and that they don't have to live through what I lived through. They were right about one thing, it did make me stronger. I learned to stand up for myself and learned that I deserve better.

Stand up for yourself, reach out, even if they turn you down reach out, someone will listen. Someone will care, I care.