Emotional Abuse Experiences Episodes

Irina grew up under the rule of a narcissistic mother who wielded her brand of manipulative emotional abuse with the precision of a doctors scalpel. Over time, Irina began to feel defective, and unfortunately, that belief carried into her abusive romantic relationships as she got older. Irina's story is also about her sister who died by suicide as a child. Irina's story is a witness to her life. *** CONTENT WARNING - This episode discusses in detail the suicide of Irina’s older sister due to h...

Natalie locked eyes at an event with her future ex, and unbeknownst to Natalie, chaos would inhabit her life for the next 3.5 years. Natalie's abuser masterfully manipulated her kindness to maintain control over her, using gaslighting, triangulation, comp

Brandon explores the intricate layers of poverty, court, the social services system, and the emotional/financial abuse on the Netflix series 'Maid'. We delve into the experiences of Alex, the protagonist, as she battles poverty, secures employment, and navigates through the challenging social services system - all while striving to protect her beloved daughter. Can you imagine standing in a courtroom, desperately trying to retain custody of your own child, but facing bias simply because you're ...

Imagine being a child forced into the role of caretaker for your struggling mother. Our guest for today, Saylor, knows that reality all too well, and she's here to share her journey. From witnessing her mother's emotional abuse at the hands of her father, to grappling with her own feelings about their complex family dynamics, Saylor offers a raw and insightful look into a world many don't understand. In sharing her story, she illuminates the impact of unseen family wounds on the developmental ye...

Sunday met her future husband at a wedding, started a relationship, got pregnant, and moved to Australia for a brand new start to her life. Unfortunately for Sunday, her husband was not who he portrayed himself to be, as he began to weaponize her vulnerabilities against her. Sunday details the toxic family dynamics she endured with her ex-husband's family, who made her feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. In the final chapters of her story, Sunday discusses the post-separation abuse she endured, t...

Growing up in a dysfunctional family can leave deep scars that last a lifetime. Tara, a courageous survivor of narcissistic abuse, joins us to openly share her personal journey through generational trauma, sibling abuse, and the toxic environment that impacted her life in significant ways. Tara speaks honestly about her loving but absent father, an emotionally and physically abusive mother, and manipulative extended family members. The complexities of emotional and physical abuse, triangulation...

Loren was in a perfect relationship for six years until she got a gut feeling that something was off. When Loren brought this feeling up to her partner, he admitted to having an affair and felt entitled to do so. From this point forth, the partner that Loren knew didn't exist anymore, and an emotionally abusive one took his place. It’s a story of isolation, double lives, bullying, betrayal trauma, non-apologies, criticism, humiliation, rage, lies, disrespect, mind games, gifts as weapons, mind ...

For the first year of Annapurna's relationship, everything was perfect. She was swept off her feet, taken on trips, and seen for all her hard work. She was living a dream. However, after an argument that turned physical, nothing was ever the same again. Annapurna's ex morphed into someone she didn't recognize, and because of his gaslighting, so did she. It's a story of victim playing, identity erosion, physical abuse, crazy making, putdowns, infidelity, love bombing, undercutting, fixing, futur...

Brandon discusses the triangulation tactics of Lundy Bancroft's 9 abuser types and the abusive parent/child triangulation types. Plus he discusses, shame, guilt, fear, gaslighting, manipulation, passive aggression, flying monkeys, victim playing, love bombing, hoovering, and much more. If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click here or send us an email at narcissistapocalypse@gmail.com This episode is sponsored by BETTERHELP. If you need online counseling from anywhe...

Austin met her abusive partner through a dating app. He was everything on paper – an absolute dream. Things were perfect. But unfortunately, Austin's abusive partner began to nitpick every little thing she did. Austin's life was under a microscope. And things only escalated from there. It's a story of generational trauma, caretaking, being a burden, perfectionism, nitpicking, breadcrumbs, physical abuse, self compassion, death, grief, neglect, fear, gaslighting, blame shifting, minimization, in...

Venus grew up in a cult of her mother’s narcissism, delusions, and rage. To Venus, this was normal. The brainwashing was winning. However, in her late twenties, Venus entered therapy, opening a floodgate of repressed memories that would change her family life forever. It's a story of generational trauma, plausible deniability, neglect, dissociation, people pleasing, hyper vigilance, parentification, weaponized poverty, mocking, threats, perfectionism, fear, hypocrites, mixed messages, guilt, ra...

In this classic episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Brandon talks with Vivian about her abusive relationship with a power-hungry narcissist. From grappling with the feelings of shame and guilt that arise to trying to explain to others that don't understand how Vivian – a therapist – couldn't detect what was happening, this is a story that everyone who has gone through narcissistic abuse needs to hear. It's a story of empathy, victim playing, stalking, and the calm before the storm. Plus they disc...

Jess thought she was in a relationship with the man of her dreams. However, the loving partner Jess knew began to crumble right in front of her eyes. Everything Jess knew about him was a lie, and that was just the tip of the lie iceberg. It's a story of lies, infidelity, fraud, physical abuse, crazy exes, new friends, death, self esteem, the hope for change, single moms, trauma bonds, love bombing, body awareness, trauma, stonewalling, silent treatments, gaslighting, shame, therapists, redefini...

Ollie's mother was known as a neighborhood Mother Teresa. But behind closed doors, Ollie's mother was controlling, verbally abusive, manipulative, and creating an environment of impossible standards. It's a story of facades, common enemies, hyper vigilance, kernels of truth, sibling relationships, body issues, perfection, expectations, manipulation, emotional abuse, and generational trauma. If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click here or send us an email at narcis...

Courtney's husband initially gave her a sense of security and presented himself as a family man. However, beneath her husband's doting dad facade, a demanding, selfish, and mean person lurked. Once the doors were closed, all gloves were off, and the world only revolved around him. It's a story respect, sexual coercion, physical violence/intimidation, escalation points, financial abuse, coercive control, stone walling, gaslighting, circular conversations, cancer, divorce, post separation abuse, ...

Erika's husband was delightfully charming, quickly sweeping her off her feet. However, within the first three months, Erika realized he was two different people. The first was the person she met, a lovely caring spirit. But the second person was the opposite, calm, calculated, and with a penchant for doing terrible things. It's a story of financial abuse, coercive control, animal abuse, language, religious beliefs, social abuse, intimidation, stalking, post separation abuse, divorce, custody, d...

Jill's husband had the reputation of being the sweetest guy in the world. Every one of their mutual colleagues vouched for him. He was good-looking, intelligent, charismatic, and came from a good family. But everything changed once behind closed doors. It's a story of enmeshment, sexual coercion, physically intimidation, gaslighting, addiction, toxic in-laws, protecting children, infidelity, family systems, blame shifting, rage, fear, shame, and much more. *** TRIGGER WARNING - Sexual Coercion,...

Brandon discusses the short and long term effects of emotional abuse. Some of the effects discussed on this episode are shame, self doubt, isolation, low self esteem, confusion, hyper vigilance, compliance, dissociation, chronic stress, apathy, attachment issues, depression, dependence, social anxiety, PTSD, and much more. *** TRIGGER WARNING - Suicidal Ideation, Self Harm, & Sexual Coercion are discussed in this episode. *** If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click...

Amelia & Reya lived in fear of their parent's constant emotional and verbal abuse. They lived in fear of their mom's suicide threats. They lived in fear of their mom leaving. They lived in fear of the physical abuse. They lived in fear. It's a story of parentification, fear, obligation, guilt, perfection, appearances, mental health issues, protection, generational trauma, CPTSD, victim playing, autonomy, feelings, no contact, self esteem, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, shame, hyper vig...

To the outside world, Allison had a perfect life. A big house, a husband making multiple six figures, and two healthy children. No one would have guessed the emotional torment going on inside the walls of her beautiful prison. It’s a story of isolation, financial abuse, control, nitpicking, competency, dependency, fear, the silent treatment, sowing the seeds of doubt, the in-law cult, escape plans, and the healing process. To buy Allison Dagney's book 'When Tears Leave Scars' - Click here. To ...

In 2019, I received an email from a survivor named Rebecca. She was struggling to make sense of her abusive relationship and wanted to speak with a former guest named Elizabeth. I was hesitant, but I put them in touch with each other. This episode is about the importance of being understood, despair, hope, healing, and the blossoming of a beautiful friendship. *** TRIGGER WARNING - This episode discusses suicidal ideation. *** To listen to Elizabeth's original episode, click here. If you want ...

Julia fell for her husband immediately. He was charismatic, a protector, great with children, and had aspirations to be a fireman. Julia's husband checked all of her boxes. He was the man of her dreams. But unfortunately for Julia, her husband slowly morphed from someone she trusted to someone she feared. It's a story of caretaking, fear , feeling alien, being good enough, rage, double standards, gaslighting, infidelity, being voiceless, self esteem, patriarchal systems, generational trauma, ni...

When Amanda met her charming and intelligent husband, she felt complete. Amanda was living her childhood dream. But unfortunately for Amanda, she soon encountered her husband's explosive anger. Amanda began to walk on eggshells to survive. And from empty promises to gaslighting, Amanda's husband kept her trapped in the relationship until he tried to take her life. It's a story of physical abuse, sowing the seeds of doubt, threats, isolation, the loss of control, protecting your kids, financial ...

All Shannon ever wanted was the security of a whole intact family, and for three years, Shannon lived that dream. But unfortunately, once Shannon was diagnosed with cancer, her husband's mask slipped, and Shannon's lifelong dream became an absolute nightmare. It's a story of addiction, mirroring, generational trauma, victim playing, compassion, surviving, shame, cognitive dissonance, gaslighting, being worthy, physical abuse, disassociation, double lives, lies, financial abuse, legal abuse, tru...