If your partner is calling you names in arguments or is saying things to make you feel unworthy, they are exhibiting abusive behavior. In fact, name-calling is both verbally and emotionally abusive, and it tears down the other partner's self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. Getting called hurtful names by your partner can leave you doubting yourself and feeling embarrassed and inferior.
As psychologist Cortney Warren wrote for CNBC, "Relationships quickly go downhill when one or both partners speak to each other with contempt." When your partner speaks to you disrespectfully, they are not respecting you or your boundaries. This can cause irreparable damage to the relationship. Since name-calling is a form of abuse, it is also a toxic form of control. The partner being verbally abused can become dependent on the other, learning to rely on them to say kind, affirming things that make them feel better.
