What do I answer to?

John Nuck

It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to. ~W.C. Fields

Name calling is a huge part of emotional abuse.  Sad thing is when those names are internalized and I called myself: Stupid, Air head, ugly, dummy, and a whole slew of other derogatory names aimed at keeping me down in a place that made me less than human.  It even went so far as allowing some one to call me bitch and deciding it stood for Being In Total Control of Herself.  I was only called bitch when I was in control of a situation.  I learned to accept that I was deserving of such names.  Most of the name calling came from family members in the name of "teasing".  If I complained, they either did it more or told me I was weak because I couldn't take a little "teasing".  Now I know, I was not being teased, I was being abused by those that should have had my back.  Bullying starts at home.  When I stopped answering to the name calling...the name calling ceased to have meaning to me.  Took several years of counseling to convince me that I deserved better.  Now I am working at not calling myself the same names I heard growing up.