Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. I never truly understood the significance of this until I was in an emotionally abusive relationship. He never laid a hand on me, and he didn't have to.

Yes. Your words had an impact on me, and you played mind games with me. You got inside my head and controlled me in ways I can't even begin to understand. You made me damage relationships with the people I cared about and who cared about me. You made me feel like I was in the wrong and like I was the problem, but really it was you the whole time. I remember all the names you called me and each one remains in my head each and every day. Now I understand that the only thing I did wrong was allowing you to walk all over me.

Words are like bullets and once fired they can't be taken back. Words are powerful and loaded and should be used with caution. The things that have been said to me have changed how I view myself. It is not easy to go on every day and pretend that I don't ever think about what happened to me, but I have to.

It has taken me some time to recover, but I am healing. I am mending myself from the damage you caused because I will not allow you to affect me any longer. You don't deserve the satisfaction of ruining another moment of my happiness. So yes, your words did hurt me, but they did not break me.