Child Of: Surviving a Narcissistic Familial Cult

In this episode Joanna discusses how crucial it is to learn who it is that you are. Narcissistic abuse pulls you away from natural self-knowledge and forces you to focus on other peoples needs instead of your own. In order to heal, you must come back to the self and discover who you are, what you want, what you need, and most importantly, who you want to become. Its time to be self(ish). 

In this episode Joanna talks about how telling the truth can be a scary thing for the child of a narcissist. She discusses how narcissists punish people for speaking truths that don't align with how the narcissist sees the world and how to pursue honesty as you begin to heal from your abuse.

In this episode Joanna shares when she first realized that she was out of touch with her own basic physical needs. She talks about how growing up with abusive/narcissistic parents can cause you to ignore your own needs in order to stay safe.

In this episode Joanna takes a deep dive into what forgiveness is, and even more importantly, what it is not. She shares stories from her past and explains the role that forgiveness has played in her own healing and transformation. 

In this episode Joanna explores the journey of healing your psyche after escaping a narcissistically abusive parent(s). She shares her own personal journey through this and gives insight into what is necessary to truly break your psyche free.

In this final episode of season 1, Joanna speaks about what she sees as the top 3 benefits of going no-contact with a narcissistic parent/family cult. These range from physical wellbeing to breaking toxic behavioral patterns within relationships.  

Boundaries are meant to keep us safe and teach people how to love us well. Creating healthy boundaries with family members when there is a narcissist involved is tricky and requires a lot of patience, learning, and hard choices. 

In the episode Joanna explores the how her own boundaries have fluctuated regarding her biological family and narcissistic father. She gives personal advice on how to honor your own needs while braving the waters of these tough relationships.

In this episode Joanna discusses the intricacies of grief when it comes to going no-contact with narcissistic family members. She offers personal insight into her personal journey with grieving and shares creative ideas as to how to process tough emotions and heal.

In this episode Joanna shares more of her story as it specifically pertains to going no-contact. She talks about what she has learned through the sacrifices that she's had to make and how grief, when it comes to choosing to break contact with an abusive family, brings a very complicated kind of grief.  

This is just the first of several episodes on this topic of going no-contact. 

Growing up with a narcissist is hard. Going out into the world after being raised by one is harder. In this episode I scratch the surface of my personal experience growing up with a narcissistic parent and my desire to give hope to those who, like me, struggle in everyday life situations due to their upbringing. You are not alone.