Uncategorized
-
It’s Not High Conflict Co-Parenting: It’s Post-Separation Abuse
Co-parenting is a phrase used in the Family Court System and its attending agencies to describe two separated parents that share children from a previous relationship. Seems simple enough. To the person who has never experienced a separated relationship with children, co-parenting is just that – a phrase. It is an adjective used to describe Continue reading
-
Why You Must Stop Seeking Fairness in Toxic Relationships
When I decided to start writing about my experience in a psychologically abusive relationship, I truly did not think about how repetitive the topics I write about would be. I think I honestly thought it would be one issue, this tactic, that bulldozing of a boundary. I guess I imagined myself navigating new situations, learning Continue reading
-
Divorce Trauma and Post-Separation Abuse: Co-Parenting with a High Conflict Person
It is known that divorce is the end to a relationship. Divorce is more stressful than the death of a spouse. I believe that. Because in death, you are still here, only haunted by the ghost of the person that you create in your head. In divorce, you are forced to exist and interact with Continue reading
-
“And This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”: Narcissistic Partners and Special Events
If you have ever been in a relationship with a narcissistic person, then the experiences I write or will soon write about should sound familiar, specifically the next experience I am about to share. Before I started on my journey of discovery into what was happening in my marriage, why was it ending, who was Continue reading
-
Why She Didn’t Ask for Help
[This is an entry I recently found in my Notes app on my phone. It was drafted one night after my oldest daughter had another rough phone conversation with her dad. I must have been writing a “Burn After Writing” journal entry as a letter to him. Things I wanted to type out and send Continue reading
-
Navigating Post-Separation Abuse and Legal Challenges
If there is any advice anyone takes away from anything I write, please let it me this: “Educate yourself. Learn as much as you can, and never be satisfied.” I am not sure where I first heard about the term “narcissist”, at least not as it pertains to my situation. I am sure a lot Continue reading
-
Mirror Images
With any long-term relationship, there is usually a natural evolving into the next stage. Additionally, to just dating each other, there is the addition of meeting each others’ parents, bringing your girlfriend/boyfriend to regular family gatherings, inviting each other to holiday festivities, and just having dinner with each others’ families. All of these things were Continue reading
-
Unveiling Some Early Signs of Narcissistic Manipulation
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I sit and think of that childhood phrase probably way more than I should. There is a method to the madness behind such a statement – words cannot hurt you; at least not in the way sticks and stones do. Sticks and Continue reading
-
Recognizing Manipulative Behavior: My Experience with Love Bombing and Grooming
“How did you two meet?” This was a question I usually hoped would not be asked once my now ex-husband and I were dating. It wasn’t because it was incredibly scandalous, however it wasn’t exactly “normal”. In summary, we were dating other people and hung out together quite often for a short time. In the Continue reading
Hold My Halo and Pass the Wine 