In this powerful and emotional episode of Bitch Is a Bad Word, survivor and advocate Lynn shares her harrowing journey through childhood trauma, reproductive coercion, intimate partner violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault—including surviving strangulation and rape.

Lynn bravely recounts her experience growing up with a compulsive gambler father, enduring multiple abusive relationships, and navigating the life-threatening consequences of reproductive coercion before eventually escaping a cycle of violence and finding healing. She also explains how trauma bonding, coercive control, and systemic failures kept her trapped—and how she finally broke free.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses childhood trauma, domestic abuse, reproductive coercion, strangulation, sexual assault, and emotional abuse.

Topics Covered:

- The psychological and financial impact of compulsive gambling

- How trauma bonding keeps survivors in abusive relationships

- What reproductive coercion really looks like (and why it’s rarely prosecuted)

- The terrifying warning signs of strangulation and intimate partner rape

- Why love bombing and control often hide behind “soulmate” language

- Breaking generational trauma and healing through therapy and advocacy

Lynn is now a speaker and advocate affiliated with the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s Storyteller Collective and Advisory Council. Connect with her via Instagram or LinkedIn.

We’ve got your back, Bestie. And your second (or third) act.

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233

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