Toxic relationship red flags are easy to miss when you're the one living inside them. You can fix your sleep, dial in your protein, do every single thing right as you build your next chapter, and if you're coming home to a partner who quietly drains you, none of it works. Your body keeps the score.

This week Tamsen Fadal gets honest about a part of her life she kept quiet for years. Before the podcast she spent years as a matchmaker in New York, watching the same patterns play out across the table from hundreds of women. She's also lived these patterns herself, with controlling men, manipulative men, men who made her smaller. She walks you through five red flags she wants you to see clearly, the kind that hide in plain sight because we talk ourselves into calling a red flag pink.

Tamsen is not a therapist. She's a journalist who has lived this, and a former matchmaker who saw it all from the outside.

Inside the episode:

- Why the silent treatment isn't just annoying, and what it does to your nervous system over years

- The partner who can't be a fan of your growth, and the parallel inner life you build to survive it

- The single biggest predictor of divorce, according to one of the most respected relationship researchers

- How comments about your changing body slowly take you out of your own skin

- The control that hides inside "I'm just trying to help," and the one question that tells you which it is

Awareness is the first step to anything changing, and your next chapter depends on getting this one right.

If you liked this conversation, check this out: The Narcissist Decoder: How Smart Women Get Trapped in Emotional Abuse

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Medical Disclaimer:

The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show.

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