Neural Monopoly: How Abusers Take Over a Victim’s Reality

Neural monopoly is what happens when one person becomes the dominant source of information, emotion, validation, and interpretation inside another person’s mind. In healthy life, your brain gets input from many sources: These inputs compete, balance each other, and help your brain cross-check what’s real. When an abuser isolates you, they slowly shut down all the other “data streams.”Your… Read More Neural Monopoly: How Abusers Take Over a Victim’s Reality

Friendship ≠ Sex: A Neuroscience Perspective on Why Judging Opposite-Sex Friendships Is Misguided

Social assumptions often collapse every close connection between a man and a woman into something sexual. For people recovering from trauma, these assumptions are not only inaccurate — they are damaging. From a neuroscience and mental-health perspective, here’s why these judgments completely miss the mark. 1. The Brain Separates Bonding From Sexual Intent Neuroscience shows that attachment… Read More Friendship ≠ Sex: A Neuroscience Perspective on Why Judging Opposite-Sex Friendships Is Misguided

Reclaiming Your Mind After Decades of Deception: A Neuroscience Perspective

Living under prolonged deception—whether in relationships, work, or family—can leave deep imprints on the brain and nervous system. Over time, patterns of mistrust, hypervigilance, and self-doubt can become embedded, making it feel impossible to trust your own mind. Neuroscience shows that recovery is not only possible—it’s a process of rewiring your brain and restoring self-trust. 1.… Read More Reclaiming Your Mind After Decades of Deception: A Neuroscience Perspective

Gratitude for the Good and the Bad: The Neuroscience of Learning Through Contrast

By Linda C. J. Turner — Therapist & Advocate | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner We often hear that gratitude changes the brain — but what many don’t realise is that it’s not only the “good” we must be grateful for. Sometimes, life’s hardest moments are the ones that reshape us the most. Neuroscience shows that our… Read More Gratitude for the Good and the Bad: The Neuroscience of Learning Through Contrast

🧠 Neuroscience & Psychology Behind Post-Separation Control Tactics

Each of these behaviours reflects specific brain-based patterns found in narcissistic, coercively controlling, or trauma-bonded relationships. Here’s how each tactic works — not just emotionally, but neurologically. 🧠 Neuroscience & Psychology Behind Post-Separation Control Tactics 1. Control Through Delay Neuroscience:Delaying and uncertainty activate the amygdala, the brain’s threat detector. Prolonged unpredictability keeps your nervous system in chronic stress mode —… Read More 🧠 Neuroscience & Psychology Behind Post-Separation Control Tactics

Safe, mutual, and real.

Let’s go much deeper into the neuroscience and psychology behind those three key systems — dopamine (reward/novelty), oxytocin & vasopressin (bonding/trust), and noradrenaline/adrenaline (arousal/memory) — and how together they create the illusion of “instant love” or emotional fusion that manipulators can exploit. This is the scientific anatomy of romantic intoxication — the same circuitry that underlies addiction, attachment, and trauma bonding. 🧠 1.… Read More Safe, mutual, and real.

🕯️ Charm, Sex & the Lure: The Neuroscience and Psychology of Seduction-as-Manipulation

People of any gender can use charm and sex as a strategy — intentionally or unconsciously — to gain power, control, or resources from others. Because these tactics hijack the brain’s bonding and reward systems, they can feel intoxicating and convincing. Understanding the science behind them helps survivors reclaim clarity, protect themselves, and heal. 1)… Read More 🕯️ Charm, Sex & the Lure: The Neuroscience and Psychology of Seduction-as-Manipulation

💰 “So… Who Owns the House?” — The Neuroscience of Financial Curiosity in Early Relationships

🧠 The Brain Behind the Questions When someone begins asking intrusive money questions —Who owns your home?Do you have debts?What kind of car is that? —you’re not just seeing curiosity. You’re witnessing their reward and threat systems at work. Two neural circuits explain this behavior: 💡 The Psychology of Early Financial Probing There are usually three psychological drivers behind this… Read More 💰 “So… Who Owns the House?” — The Neuroscience of Financial Curiosity in Early Relationships