Tag: relationships

Working with a fully trained psychologist

Psychologists can help you recognize the tactics used by abusers, such as gaslighting, financial control, and emotional manipulation. Understanding these behaviors makes it easier to see that the abuse was not your fault.

They can help you identify patterns across different areas of the relationship that you may not have connected before, revealing the full extent of the control.Hearing a professional confirm, “Yes, this is abuse,” can be profoundly validating, especially if you’ve been gaslit into believing otherwise.

They create a safe space where your feelings, fears, and experiences are acknowledged without judgment.… Read More Working with a fully trained psychologist

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The Strength of Stepping Away

Stepping away from an abusive or toxic situation is like clearing the fog that’s been clouding your vision for so long. When you’re caught in the middle of manipulation and control, it’s incredibly difficult to see the full picture. Abusers thrive on confusion, gaslighting, and emotional exhaustion, which can make it almost impossible to recognize the patterns of harm. But once you step back—physically, emotionally, or both—you gain clarity, perspective, and the strength to rebuild.… Read More The Strength of Stepping Away

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Double Standards

Double standard is a common tactic in abusive relationships, and it’s incredibly frustrating and demeaning. When an abuser sets one rule for you and your children or grandchildren, while treating their own family with favoritism or entitlement, they’re creating a dynamic designed to assert control, diminish your worth, and reinforce their power.… Read More Double Standards

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Isolated from family and friends for decades

Being isolated from family and friends for decades due to an abuser’s manipulation is one of the most devastating forms of control. Abusers deliberately sever these connections to leave their victims dependent, vulnerable, and without a support system. This kind of isolation doesn’t just create loneliness—it erodes a person’s sense of self, making it harder to see a way out or to believe in a world where they are loved and supported.… Read More Isolated from family and friends for decades

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Why Abusers Claim to Love Their Victims

This kind of behavior is not love—it’s manipulation, control, and cruelty masquerading as affection. True love nurtures, protects, and uplifts. Abuse, on the other hand, is a deliberate attempt to harm, control, or diminish another person. When abusers claim to “love” their victims while engaging in such destructive behavior, they are distorting the concept of love to justify their actions and maintain power. Abuse is never love, no matter how much the abuser claims otherwise. Love doesn’t hurt, harm, or control—it sets people free. Would you like to explore ways to process these feelings further or redefine what love means to you moving forward?… Read More Why Abusers Claim to Love Their Victims

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Why the Family May Support the Abuser

When a family knowingly supports an abuser despite witnessing harmful behavior in the past, it can feel profoundly unjust and deeply painful. This situation is further complicated when their motivations—like financial gain—are involved, and the abuser is now in ill health. It’s a complex web of denial, self-interest, and enabling that leaves the actual victim feeling isolated and invalidated.… Read More Why the Family May Support the Abuser

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Why Abusers Play the Victim

Patterns of Enabling: Families who believed the abuser in the past may be conditioned to see them in a certain light. It could stem from loyalty, denial, or a refusal to face uncomfortable truths.

The Power of Manipulation: Abusers often excel at manipulating those closest to them, crafting stories that fit the audience’s emotional vulnerabilities or preconceived notions.

Cultural or Familial Norms: In some families, protecting the image of one of their own might take precedence over seeking truth, especially if the family values loyalty or appearances over accountability.… Read More Why Abusers Play the Victim

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A Heartfelt Thank You: To Those Who Believed in Me and Stood By My Side

As I step into 2025, I’m making a promise to myself: never again will I let anyone come between me and the people I care about. Abuse thrives on isolation, but healing flourishes in connection. This year is about reclaiming my life, rebuilding relationships, and creating a future rooted in love and trust.

To everyone reading this: Happy Christmas. Know that you are loved more than you may ever realize. To those who have stood by me, I hope you understand just how much your presence has meant to me. You’ve given me hope, strength, and the courage to move forward, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.

Here’s to a new year of love, healing, and happiness. Together, we will make 2025 a year of joy and connection. With all my heart, thank you.

Love,
Linda – Always By Your Side… Read More A Heartfelt Thank You: To Those Who Believed in Me and Stood By My Side

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The Cruelty of Stealing Joy: When Cards and Kindness Are Taken Away

Imagine a special occasion—your birthday or Christmas—a day that should be filled with love and connection. Instead, it becomes a day of hurt, orchestrated not by bad luck but by the deliberate actions of someone who claims to care for you. They take the cards meant for you, gifts and messages sent by those who hold you dear, and hide them. They delight in telling you that no one remembered your birthday or that you don’t have real friends. And when external circumstances, like a postal strike, offer a convenient excuse, they wield it to amplify the lie that you are forgotten, unloved, and unworthy.

What kind of person does this? Is it a sign of mental illness or pure vindictiveness? The answer is complex, but at its core, such behavior reflects a deeply troubling need for control and domination.… Read More The Cruelty of Stealing Joy: When Cards and Kindness Are Taken Away

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