Episodes

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Blue tells her story of The Frog in the Boiling Pot. Blue was swept off her feet by the man of her dreams, and they moved in together quite quickly However, the abuse began slowly as nitpicking. A year later, the nitpicking also included putdowns. And by year three, the nitpicking and putdowns began to take a toll on Blue's identity. So by the time the physical abuse began, Blue couldn't recognize who she was anymore. It's a story of control, Mr. Right,...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, we welcome play therapist, Sybil Cummins (MA, LPC, ACS), to explore the transformative power of play therapy for children who've faced/witnessed the darkness of coercive control, domestic violence, and narcissistic abuse. Listen in as Sybil enlightens us on how imaginative play not only offers a vital outlet for children to process trauma but also strengthens their problem-solving skills. The conversation takes a crucial turn to address the devastating i...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Emma chronicles her triumph over childhood trauma and a series of scary abusive relationships. Emma's story begins with an upbringing fraught with abuse, low self-worth, and suicidal ideation. As Emma grows older, her life takes a turn into darker waters as she recounts how she navigated the treacherous currents of coercive control, gaslighting, manipulation financial abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and stalking. Also, Emma discusses her healing jou...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Brandon reads letters and poems from survivors of domestic violence, coercive control, and narcissistic abuse about their experiences. Plus, Brandon analyzes the letters to discuss the big themes of being good enough, survival, and your basic human rights. *** CONTENT WARNING - This episode discusses sexual abuse and physical abuse. *** If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click here or send us an email at narcissistapocalyps...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, a transgender woman named Dana courageously shares her story of surviving emotional and sexual abuse by her father. As the eldest child, Dana grappled with the responsibility of protecting her mother and sister while navigating her own harrowing path in and out of the home. Once Dana was out of her abusive home, she thrived through the transformational power of activism and solidarity. However, after losing her job, Dana found herself back living in her ...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Brandon talks with Maude about how she plans to escape her current relationship with an animal abuser, who is also an emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive narcissist. We used a voice changer for this episode. The sound may not be the best because of it, but it was needed for safety reasons It's a story of dehumanization, infidelity, suicide threats, stalking, and the fear of leaving. Plus they discuss, jealousy, rage, narcissistic abuse, gaslig...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, we talk with an abuse survivor named Terry, and Terry was trauma bonded to a manipulative physical abuser. They say it takes an average of 7 times to leave your abuser, but for Terry is was much higher. To quote Terry "It's not that I didn't want to break away from my abuser, it was just, I didn't know how to." However, Terry eventually did go no contact, and then took her power back in a very big way. It's a story of isolation, feeling stuck, threats, ...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse Q&A, Brandon discusses Lundy Bancroft's 10 types of abusers & the role of narcissistic personality disorder. Plus they discuss, minimization, gaslighting, physical abuse, control, power, triangulation, threats, int

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Abigail tells her story of being raised by a psychologically and physically abusive father. Abigail's father needed to be the center of attention for everything, and if he wasn't, everyone in her family faced the consequences. Abigail's story isn't just a story of being abused, but it's also a story of seeing her mother being abused, how her mother didn't protect her, and the smear campaign against her when she tried to leave the family for good. *** CO...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse Q&A, Dr. Ryan Sultan unpacks the complexities and nuances of trauma and its therapies. Dr. Sultan explores how cutting-edge therapies are revolutionizing the way we approach healing. He demystifies the scientific i

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Carmella recounts how she found unexpected support from an engaged man during a personal crisis. Their friendship blossomed into romance, and then a pressured proposal, highlighting the struggle of reconciling the whirlwind of emotions with societal expectations and personal apprehension. As we further dissect coercive control dynamics, Carmella examines the effects of controlling behaviors and jealousy, the intense pressure to conform, and the emotional...

Join me, your host Brandon Chadwick, as I sit down with the esteemed Dr. Christine Marie Coachella to unpack the complex issue of coercive control within intimate relationships. By using the unsettling coercive control allegations by Olya Sharypova agains

In this week's abuse survivor story, Johana discusses her three year abusive relationship. Like many narcissistic abuse survivor stories, it all started with love bombing. And once the love bombing was complete, Johana's abuser had complete control as the truth teller in her world. From there, Johana's abuser started to weaponize his culture, and he began to employ every tactic in the power and control wheel. Isolation. Intimidation. Checking-in. Male privilege. Minimization. Denial. Blame. Gasl...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse Q&A, Brandon discusses the complexities of seeking validation from an abuser and how this can trap abuse victims in a never-ending cycle of mistreatment. Plus, Brandon discusses the top 8 ways in which validation c

In this survivor story, Parker returns to our show, inviting us into the heart-wrenching labyrinth of her past entanglement with emotional abuse. Her story unravels the complexities of a marriage that began with love-bombing and spiraled into a chilling reality marked by financial manipulation and psychological control. Surrounding Parker's abusive relationship, was the continued abuse from her Jehovah's Witness congregation. Parker's story is not just about survival—it's about healing abuse an...

In this episode, Brandon breaks down five types of narcissistic abuse manipulation tactics that exhaust you and why they employ them. If you are in a relationship with a narcissistic abuser, then you know that it can be both mentally/physically exhausting and can leave you feeling drained and depleted. We discuss fear based manipulation tactics, doubt based tactics, monitoring tactics, guilt tactics, lack of responsibility tactics, and sabotage tactics. Each have their own purpose and can all...

In this survivor story, Blanche shares her scary story of narcissistic abuse and stalking. Blanche began dating her abuser when she was 19 years old and feeling vulnerable. Her abuser swept in and at first made Blanche special, but he quickly became jealous and controlling. As soon as the abuse began, things moved so fast that Blanche didn't have time to think about what was happening. The emotional abuse turned into physical abuse, which then turned into a death threat and stalking. Through Bl...

In this episode, Brandon discusses the protective output of perfectionism, which is a protective trauma response with real health consequences. He dives into the creation of perfectionism, the three main types, dysregulation, and coping. Also, Brandon discusses how society has contributed to perfectionism as a whole and how we must figure out how to combat the cycles of societal generational trauma. If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click here or send us an email a...

Zoey opens up about the toxic and abusive relationships that spanned her life—from the physical and emotional abuse instigated by her mother to the controlling narcissistic partner who perpetuated the cycle of abuse. Zoey was stuck between two abusers, and it was confusing, as each of them used kernels of truth to keep Zoey from creating a life free from both of them. It's a story of abusive mothers, tug of wars, smear campaigns, isolation, jealousy, addiction, neglect, child negelct, infidelit...

Robyn grew up with a controlling narcissistic mother, but to Robyn, this was normal. However, as Robyn got older, she started to see that something wasn't right, and that she wasn't the terrible person her mother made her out to be. It's a story of intergenerational trauma, narcissistic abuse, impossible expectations, emotional abuse, putdowns, domestic abuse, identity issues, shame, guilt, the normalization of abuse, gaslighting, doubt, suicide threats, suicidal ideation, self harm, triangulat...

Hans grew up yearning for the love of his absent father while simultaneously being bullied in school. The one thing he wanted most in life was to feel accepted and to be a good dad. And that acceptance came from his future wife, who accepted Hans like no one had before. But unfortunately for Hans, his future wife would build a family with him, knowing she could abuse him by ripping it away. It's a story of coercive control, verbal abuse, intergenerational trauma, post separation abuse, custody,...

Join us on Narcissist Apocalypse Q&A, as we unravel the complex abuse manipulation tactic known as plausible deniability. Through a thoughtful examination of its origins, we illustrate how abusers meticulously plan their actions to maintain deniability an

Cara broke up with her abuser after seeing too many red flags. However, during a period of loneliness, Cara's abuser was able to finagle his way back into her life, only to wreak havoc once inside. It's a story of abuse cycles, physical abuse, suicide threats, trauma bonds, intergenerational trauma, isolation, embarrassment, shame, rages, smearing, destabilization, suicidal ideation, future faking, hopelessness, depression, loyalty, double lives, being kind to yourself, hoovering, loneliness, f...

In this episode, Brandon discusses the power of narrative as we explore the intricacies of storytelling in the context of communication, support, education, self discovery, and healing. With a focus on clarity and connection, Brandon guides you through the process of shaping your personal experiences into coherent and impactful stories. In this conversation, we discuss the ins and outs of what goes into a story. From your plot points, to themes, to proper framing, Brandon illuminates the struct...