I am just glad that verbal abuse is getting more attention. People used to minimize verbal abuse, as if it did not "hurt" like physical violence. But verbal abuse is damaging to the ego, empowerment, and self-esteem. I must confess that I learned too well from my family and my first husband what verbal abuse is. I had to go to counseling to un learn verbal abuse because I found my self saying terrible things to my current loving husband that I didn't mean to say that were repetitions of what I heard in childhood that were verbally abusive. For example, I made a dental appointment for my husband. When I got home from work, he told me that he had gone to the appointment. In fact, I did not see the complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste, so I knew he had not gone. When he admitted that he had blown it off, I said, "I hope you suffer." My hand flew to my mouth in shock that I had said that! It is something I heard many times in my childhood. It pains me just to admit that I said it, can you imagine the pain he must have felt to have heard it? Granted, he lied to me, but no lie deserves a retaliation like that.