Words have a power of lifting up and putting down. In my source, “Verbal Abuse Related to Self-Esteem and Conveys Unjust Blame Harms Mental Health and Social Interaction for College Population” by Jy Yun, states that “When a humiliating experience leads to a fear of further humiliation, a victimized person may become increasingly sensitive to social threats and social anxiety cues.”(29) This states that Verbal abuse hurts more than sticks and stones can. This abuse holds on to you and sticks to you. No matter what, the words of someone sits on the mind and heart and haunts oneself.

Criticism and harassment will never not play in the mind. Once verbally abused, that damages one’s brain and one’s positive outlook on life. Many who have experienced verbal abuse have reported depression, social anxiety, addiction to substances and social media, and attention deficit/ hyperactivity. “Moreover, experience of perceived verbal abuse has been associated with changed patterns of brain maturation, including the reduced structural integrity of brain white matter bundles, compromised brain resting state functional connectivity.”(1) For example, when children are faced with verbal abuse, they mature faster and aren’t able to enjoy their early childhood. Words don’t only write beautiful things but, they also say things that can completely alter a brain and the way that brain functions and survives.