No Visible Bruises

In today’s episode, I hear Aneela Mehkri’s story of how she knew that something was always wrong with her mum, but she didn’t know it was Narcissism until she was 30. We’ll learn how a household of dysfunction, arguments, and fights led to Aneela discovering what narcissism is and how it impacted her life emotionally, mentally, and physically.

What you will learn in this episode:

• What Enmeshment is and how it plays a role in Aneela’s life.
• How to learn to trust your feelings and listen to your body.
• Why abuse is abuse. Just because they’re family, it doesn’t excuse abuse.

Aneela discusses how her mother and the culture in Pakistan caused her to have insecurity growing up by teaching her to not discuss what was happening inside her household with other families and friends. We’ll then learn how Aneela got on the pathway to recovery from her mother's narcissism and the wounds it caused, and how she is now helping others heal from narcissistic abuse with her work as a Humanistic Integrative Therapist.

Connect with Aneela:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aneelamehkri/?hl=en

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

Have you ever said to yourself “I feel so stupid… I’m so fat… I’m so ugly?” If so, you’re not alone. I used to say those words to myself all the time, I felt disgusted at myself and I definitely didn’t want to look at my body in the mirror. This was all happening whilst I was married to my narcissistic ex-husband, he had deeply impacted my sense of self and my physical appearance is what I honed in on.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why we can body shame ourselves whilst being in a narcissistic relationship.
• How to stop negative self talk and start to love ourselves.
• What IFS is (internal family systems) and how it can be extremely powerful in creating transformation in each one of us. 

Body shaming can be a huge part of narcissistic abuse, because we’ll blame ourselves for what’s happening and take it out on ourself. My hope for this episode is that I can put you on the right track to love yourself and feel comfortable in your own body in the process of healing from narcissistic abuse. 

Here is the link to book your FREE call with one of my Narcissistic Abuse Ambassadors to get your very own Personalised Healing Map with the steps to start your healing journey with where you are right now: https://go.carolinestrawson.com/personalised-healing-map-call

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

Today’s episode is this month's "Ask Me Anything" where I get to answer the questions you’ve been sending in! In this episode, I discuss topics ranging from why people struggle to leave abusive relationships to why your sex drive is low after dating a narcissist. I’ll also do a deep dive on how we become addicted to the chemicals inside our brain and why we may stay in an abusive relationship to seek out those feel-good chemicals.

Questions in this episode include:

• Why can't I just leave?
• How do I know I am not a narcissist?
• How to support your children when your ex-narcissist introduces a new supply?
• Why am I still not interested in sex after breaking up from a narcissist?

My aim for these episodes is to make sure I’m discussing topics that directly impact you, so I hope my answers help you in a strong recovery from narcissistic abuse. Every first Tuesday of each month is an "Ask Me Anything" episode, so please send in your questions to [email protected] where we will endeavour to answer them either in these Ask Me Anything episodes or as a topic for a full episode!

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse

• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse

• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 

Anger is one of the biggest emotions I see directed at the narcissist, and sometimes even more at the other woman or man that your narcissistic partner has cheated with. In this episode, I will discuss what happens inside our body and brain when anger is building up and why it’s important to know how to deal with this emotion so that we can start to heal from our past traumas. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Where anger comes from and how to deal with it
• How anger played a role in my relationship with a narcissist
• The role our inner child wounds play in our healing process

Anger certainly showed its face when I was dealing with my narcissistic ex-husband, and thankfully I was able to direct the emotions I was feeling to help me through the healing process. It’s important that we know how to direct these emotions. I hope this episode and discussion around anger will help you along your healing journey, as what builds inside of us as an emotion can eventually lead to real physical illnesses. 

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

In today’s episode, I hear Devena Simon’s story of how she navigated her healing journey from being in a relationship with a narcissist. In this new series, I will be having conversations with people who have survived narcissistic abuse. My hope is that I can bring you examples of what happens within narcissistic relationships so that you can know how to react and survive if you happen to experience the same things. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• What reactive abuse is and how it played a part in Devena suffering from trauma
• How to deal with financial abuse
• Lessons to convert post narcissistic trauma to post-trauma growth 

Devena describes how her high school sweetheart turned into her narcissist. We’ll discover the warning signs that she wished she had seen when she first met her boyfriend, and she’ll share how she has managed to live a better life by healing from her narcissistic trauma. Devena hopes that her experience with a narcissist can help you avoid the same pitfalls, whilst mending bridges and rebuilding your life. 

Connect with Devena:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unspilled_tea/

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse

• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse

• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/

• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 

• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

• Become an ACCREDITED & CERTIFIED NARCISSISTIC TRAUMA INFORMED COACH: https://go.carolinestrawson.com/NTICC3

In today's episode, I am interviewing Brooke Bownes who is a Trauma-Informed Therapist and Coach, specialising in helping women heal their mother wounds associated with narcissistic abuse, she is also a valued member of my Embodied SELF Leadership Mastermind. I have no first-hand experience with a narcissistic parent, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to have Brooke on the show to discuss her experiences with her narcissistic mother. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• What a mother wound is and how to heal from it
• Why having a narcissistic parent can lead you to be in a relationship with a narcissist
• The healing methods of recovering from a narcissistic parent

Brooke was so kind to share her story about her narcissistic mother, from how she was treated as a child to the moment she realised that her mother was actually a narcissist. Brooke discusses how she managed to get on the path of healing herself to avoid passing on any narcissistic traits to her own children. I hope that these conversations will help you on your healing journey and perhaps they’ll make you see why people behave in the way they do.

Guest Resources:

• Brooke’s Email: [email protected]
• Brooke’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theconfidencecommunitybeconfidentseenheardhavefun/
• Brooke’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookebownes
• You Can Have It! How to Breakthrough the self sabotage cycle: 

UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09DX7PB11 

US link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DX7PB11

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

Today’s episode is this month's "Ask Me Anything" where I get to answer the questions you’ve been sending in! I’ve received so many questions from you since our first “AMA” last month and I’m so happy that we can engage in this way. In this episode, I discuss topics ranging from why people don’t believe your story about a narcissist to how to deal with a trauma bond. I’ve tried to pick the questions that I believe will relate to the majority of you. 

Questions in this episode include:

• What to do when no one believes you
• How to stop thinking about the narcissist when you have broken up
• How to finally move on if you have felt stuck for years
• What to do after you have worked on your healing

My aim for these episodes is to make sure I’m discussing topics that directly impact you, so I hope my answers help you in a strong recovery from narcissistic abuse. Every first Tuesday of each month is an "Ask Me Anything" episode, so please send in your questions to [email protected] where we will endeavor to answer them either in these Ask Me Anything episodes or as a topic for a full episode! 

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 

Our mind and body can act in unusual ways after leaving a narcissist, and it’s vital to know why we may be showing behaviours that didn’t appear before. One of those behaviours can be extreme promiscuity, and that’s what I want to discuss in today’s episode of The Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Podcast. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why our promiscuity can come out after leaving a narcissistic partner
• How being promiscuous can help heal our inner wounds
• The reasons why our protector parts show up in unusual ways

Promiscuity after leaving a narcissist can occur because it’s our protector part of our nervous system trying to tackle our trauma head-on. Our inner wounds of not feeling good enough & feeling responsible for the relationship with the narcissist causes trauma which can lead to issues with our promiscuity. So in this episode, I discuss why our promiscuity can suddenly appear and the real meaning of it. Feel free to send me a message via my socials or through [email protected] so we can discuss why promiscuity may be showing up for you. 

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse

• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse

• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/

• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

With it being fathers day this past weekend, I wanted to share some top tips on how you can cope through special occasions, such as birthdays, Christmas, and family events when there’s a narcissist involved. On big occasions, narcissists will often guilt trip you to connect with them, and you may even feel like you should give them another chance. It’s important to not fall into their trap, so in this episode, I’ll give you five ways to ignore the narcissist on special occasions.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Tactics from blocking out the narcissist, to controlling our own emotions.
• How narcissists use special occasions to prey on those they want to control.
• Why our nervous system reacts in the way it does leading up to these events.

These special events can be a great opportunity to take back your power, to show the narcissist that you will not be drawn back to them and that they won’t get their narcissistic supply from you. So use the methods I discuss to expand the gap between you and the narcissist and to make it incredibly difficult or impossible for them to reconnect with you.

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

A narcissist will always need their narcissistic supply, and as they look for their next hit, the narcissistic abuse cycle will continue. In this episode, I will discuss what the narcissistic abuse cycle is and how we may find ourselves in it. From love bombing, to gaslighting, to straight-up abuse, the narcissistic abuse cycle can be incredibly damaging, so my hope with this episode is that you can identify what stage of the cycle you’re in and how to get out of it. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Are you destined to be in a narcissistic relationship?
• Why you must stop feeling guilty and how to break the narcissistic abuse cycle
• How narcissists will manipulate you to get their narcissistic supply

I discuss how I fell into the narcissistic abuse cycle and why I ended up with a narcissist based on my childhood experiences. I hope that my experience can help you understand why you may be going through the narcissistic abuse cycle. It’s also important to know that the narcissistic abuse cycle isn’t always a downwards trajectory where each stage is worse than the last. Sometimes the narcissist will love bomb again to get what they need. This is why it’s called a cycle. 

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson 
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/