If you are recovering from an abusive or toxic relationship, you can feel alone, isolated and broken.
- It’s not uncommon to blame yourself for the abuse (even though it wasn’t your fault.)
- It’s hard to fully trust your current partner, because of how you’ve been hurt in the past.
- You might find yourself endlessly swiping on online dating app, never allowing yourself to go on dates.
- You might still have flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or alternate between feelings of powerlessness and rage.
In this podcast episode, Dr. Lourdes Viado and I discuss how to recognize an abusive vs toxic relationship and how to start the healing process — plus how you might be uniquely impacted from this experience as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the episode:
- Differentiating between an abusive vs. toxic relationship (5:13)
- Common experiences for those in abusive or toxic relationships (16:08)
- How prior trauma can make someone more vulnerable to an abusive or toxic relationship (25:54)
- “Trauma glasses” and their impact on those who have gotten out of a abusive or toxic relationship (27:38)
- The importance of compassion and healing for those who grew up with abuse or trauma (29:35)
- The intersection between HSPs and abusive or toxic relationships (32:47)
- DOES: Depth of processing, Overstimulation or Overwhelm, Emotional reactivity or Empathy, Sensing of Subtleties (34:04)
- The hope and recovery on the other side of an abusive or toxic relationship (44:14)
- The importance of safety, support, and education for those in abusive or toxic relationships (46:30)
Click here to listen
If you need help:
- National Hotline for Domestic Violence
- telephone: 1.800.799.7233
- website: https://www.thehotline.org/
Quiet Moon Counseling 