Some time back I heard an individual say, “You are only as strong as the people you surround yourself with.”  Taking a look at this statement as it relates to our partners, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and significant others could be revealing.  I became acutely aware that not everyone, many times women and girls, understands that it is NEVER OK to overlook verbal degradation by those who say they love us.  We might ask ourselves these questions to determine if we are being verbally and emotionally abused by our mates: