This week on The Dating Detectives, we meet Sandra, an accomplished counselor whose relationship began with friendship, trust, and late-night heart-to-hearts during the pandemic. But what started as a slow-burn romance with a charming EMT quickly spiraled into a web of lies, emotional manipulation, financial devastation, and ultimately, physical violence. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Sandra bravely walks us through the gradual erosion of reality that left her questioning everything, including her own sanity. It’s a textbook case of how abusers groom, isolate, and control, layer by layer, and a powerful reminder that trusting your instincts isn’t just important, it can be life-saving.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes descriptions of emotional, financial, and physical abuse

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***The following Program contains names, places and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. The following Program is provided for entertainment purposes only and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances.

If you or a loved one are involved in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for support.

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