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Trauma Bonding & the Narcissist – Twisted Attachment

emotional-rollar-coasterFeeling attached to a narcissist or sociopath even though he treats us badly is a constant source of angst for those in recovery from toxic relationships. Victims want to know why…why can’t I just let go of this guy? Why can’t I move on? Why am I obsessed with no closure? Why do I feel so connected to someone who feels no connection to me? One logical answer to this is that we’re normal and they’re not and normal people want to fix things that are broken so that they work again.

The problem, of course, is that a narcissist can’t be fixed because he was never right to begin with. In essence, the narcissist isn’t really broken at all. He simply is what he is and what he is is no good. This being true, what do we do, after a Discard, when we can’t shake the feeling of being only ½ a person without him…of feeling utterly attached even when we’re apart and even when he’s with someone else? Why can’t we disconnect from the Bad Man? Well, there is an answer to this for those who seek a deeper psychological reason for the suffering and it’s a condition often referred to as trauma bonding.

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When we think of trauma bonding, we typically associate it with The Stockholm Syndrome (TSS) – a condition named after a real-life situation where a group of hostages became emotionally attached to their kidnapers. TSS, however, although certainly similar to trauma bonding, typically occurs in life-threatening situations where the victim is literally in fear of dying at the hands of her toxic, abusive partner. Trauma bonding is more descriptive of the attachment dilemma that occurs from the type of trauma caused to our emotions (i.e. betrayal and neglect, over and over and over). It’s the type of bonding that can easily occur via passive-aggressive manipulation (i.e. sex, lies, silent treatments) and other forms of narcissistic control.

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The narcissist partner, as cunning as he or she is, understands the process for streamlining a victim’s codependency to point of least resistance. He has actually figured out – without a single day of formal training – that the best way to ensure narcissistic supply is to create trauma bonds with his targets via the method of “seduce and discard”.  He has figured out an easy way to turn us into a narcissist’s enabler.

The conditioning that leads to trauma bonding focuses on two powerful sources of reinforcement recurring in succession over and over and at perfectly timed intervals. Psychologists call this reinforcement the ‘arousal-jag’ which actually refers to the excitement before the trauma (arousal) and the peace of surrender afterwards (jag). Take a second to reflect on the narcissist’s behaviors. Creating trauma bonds is what he’s been doing his whole life!

‘Arousal-jag’ reinforcement is all about giving a little and then taking it away over and over and over in well timed intervals. Narcissists do this all the time (disappearing/reappearing, silence/chaos) whereby creating an illusion of twisted excitement that reinforces the traumatic bond between us and them. And to be clear, the narcissist feels a connection here as well only his connection is to the excitement alone and not to us. This is why a narcissist always has multiple partners because it doubles and triples his excitement factor. The fact that we – as his victims – become so attached to the chaos that we’ll eagerly await a hoover is quite an added bonus!

Are you getting it yet??

The excitement before the trauma (of betrayal and neglect) is created during the devalue stage…that point in time right before a discard when our intuition has already told us he’s going to leave based on his behaviors. It’s that knot-in-the-stomach feeling, the overwhelming urge to call his phone 100 times, the torment of cognitive dissonance…. it’s the hours spent scouring the internet looking for clues…it’s the feeling we get from the chaos that a narcissist ALWAYS creates right before the silence. Like it or not, we become highly addicted to his narcissistic behaviors and all of the nonsense that goes with it… and we miss it like a motherfucker when it’s gone…when, suddenly, the narcissist goes silent. We long for the connection – as manipulated and fabricated as it is – until we can barely breathe. Then, right before we either kill ourselves or come to our senses, in swoops the narcissist once again – like a Phoenix rising – to give us the second reinforcement: the peace of surrender that happens afterwards. His reappearance is meticulously timed for maximum effect and usually follows a silent treatment that has lasted just a tad longer than the one before. The narcissist is conditioning us to accept less and less so he can get away with more each time he vanishes.

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Either way, this second dose of reinforcement – the peace of surrender – is absolutely heaven! Again, it’s an addiction – to the narcissist and the make-up sex, to the vanishing of our anxiety, and to the feeling of calmness and euphoria we get from knowing that, once again, we’ve been given a reprieve to breathe until the cycle repeats again. Seduce and discard…seduce and discard…till the end of all fucking time. And, at the moment it’s happening, we’re actually okay with that! In fact, there’s no place in the world we’d rather be.

As I am writing this, I am realizing that my ex worked very, very hard at trauma bonding. In fact, he was a Master at it, subjecting me to silent treatments (two weeks on/two weeks off) like clockwork, for months at a time, and with no explanation at all. In addition, from mid-October to mid-January every year for 13 years he made like Houdini and fell completely off the grid.  And right before leaving, he’d ramp up the chaos, making me feel horribly anxious and angry yet desperate for his attention. But I was addicted to it and he knew it.  Wayne knew exactly what he was doing!

Our addiction to the narcissistic chaos and then to the reprieve also explains why we find it so hard to maintain No Contact and/or to move on into new relationships after it’s over. No one excites us in quite the same way or with the same intensity as a toxic partner. Via trauma bonding, we become the suffering and the suffering becomes us. We forget what normalcy feels like. We stop differentiating between good excitement and bad excitement. The chaos and turmoil becomes almost as big a turn-on for us as it does for the N.

If we look back on or inward on (if we’re still in it) our relationship, we see that at the moment the Idolize Phase ends, the trauma bonding began. We may not have even known this but you can be sure that the narcissist did. As time passed and the narcissistic partner became more successful at managing down our expectations of the relationship, our connection to the nonsense began to stick like super glue. But now that we know it….that there is a name for that strange hold this bizarre person had over us..we can make sure it never happens to us again. If we’re still in the relationship, then we can get out (and fast!) because, unlike a hostage victim who trauma bonds with a kidnapper, we are NOT being held at gunpoint and we CAN escape. Let us be grateful for that fact and do what we need to do to save our sanity.

 

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125 Comments

  • Margot Harris

    April 25, 2017 at 3:44 am Reply

    Hi and Help!
    Am struggling! I believe I was seduced under the guise of friendship. Physical flattery was used to weaken me, causing me to attach emotionally to him. I resisted early sexual advances telling him it was wrong. He said he accepted this wanted to preserve our friendship. Eventually my resistance gave way. Sexual conquest came increasing my attachment when in reality he had none. In my heart I knew this. However he occupied my thoughts and a need in me constantly. He was in total control and I was lost. It ended after a panic text I sent saying ‘end of’, ‘I believe I have behaved improperly and shafted myself’. His reply was to say he had told me not to have any expectations, For the life of me I don’t remember that. He went on to say maybe he had shared too much with me and he hoped I could find peace. During it all he came to my house almost every day. Now I am tormented, unable to process the events, crying, lost.
    We live in a small place are members of a small church congregation and another village society. It is so difficult putting on a brave face in those situations.

    • Zari Ballard

      May 7, 2017 at 8:38 am Reply

      Hi Margot,

      I am sorry that you are suffering, girl. I am sure that he DIDN’T tell you to not have expectations although he will surely gaslight you to make you think you heard wrong. It is unfortunate that you will have to see him around but I have a feeling that he isn’t done with you yet. It doesn’t sound like a discard to me although it would be the best thing. I know it hurts but we can’t waste our time with people – narcissists or not – who have nothing more than nefarious intentions. It’s not fair and will only waste our life away.

      I am sorry it took me so long to respond. Please write again and let me know how you are doing, my friend. We are all here to support you…

      xo

  • Mimi

    March 29, 2017 at 6:25 am Reply

    Hi Zari: I was wondering if you received my comment! I know your very busy. Just was wondering what your thoughts where on my comment. Thank you. Mimi

    • Zari Ballard

      March 31, 2017 at 11:58 pm Reply

      Hi Mimi,

      Hang on, sister! Of course I remember you Mimi – OMG. I’ve thought of you over the past couple of years…wondered how you fared, girl! I will absolutely respond to your comment…I’ve been behind in responding to comments but I’m working on it. But I see you and I will share my thoughts.

      Zari xo

    • NJ

      April 10, 2017 at 8:24 am Reply

      Dear Zari,
      I read a few of your articles and it brought a lot of insight. However i have a question. I was/ still am ghungo over a narcissist. i met him in 2011 and he swept me over and we moved in together without me knowing he was married. He withheld that piece of info from me. I didn’t know until 2 years later that he is married when his wife called me. idk but he never made me feel or question him otherwise. he traveled for business which i din’t question, but for most part we had a healthy loving relationship.i worked for his consulting company and this will make more sense to my current situation.
      in 2014 he called it off without giving reasons. in 2013 he got divorced but he said he didn’t love me and didn’t want a relationship. i was miserable and i tried everything from calling him a million times to showing up at his door step. yes he changed the locks to our home and put my stuff at a common friends place.
      i continued working for his company and we got back in touch in 2015 jan around his birthday and then started the abuse trauma bonding. i felt he came back and we talked endlessly, flirted and then boom he disappeared.. 2 weeks min to 4 weeks max.
      everyone told me to leave his company and find another employer but i didn’t.
      i finally did that this month but he withheld my 6 months of pay. so until last week he wld talk to me and then disapper for a day.. then talk and give me some money like 500 etc and then basically a bait for me to keep my mouth shut.
      he got me addicted. Last week he did inevitable.. he said he sent me Western Union money and only that he didn’t. he sent me fake WU tracking number . After i got furious i called him a million times and bombarded his phones with nice, not so nice, agonizing messages with absolutely no response.
      SILENCE at its highest.
      i left him crying , crippling vms but ofcourse he doesn’t care.
      i know he had a reason to respond before but even his narcissit behavior will not guarantee him contacting and give me any money. he has no incentive to do anything.
      please help?
      i am at a point where i know no matter what i write or call or not call… silence is all i will get
      and yes i think i thrived on this excitement and drama and i want a normal life cuz my life is anything but normal
      thanks again for your help

      • Zari Ballard

        April 25, 2017 at 2:51 pm Reply

        Hi NJ,

        I am so sorry that I haven’t responded. I’ve had trouble with this website and have been busy fixing it. Look, a lot could have happened between the time you wrote and now but the bottom line is that this guy OWES YOU MONEY. No matter what happens and relationship aside, you deserve to get paid and you need to go after it. Why was he allowed to go six whole months without giving you a paycheck? Do you have proof that you worked there for that time? If you are a “regular” employee, then you need to take it to the labor board and file suit. I know that the relationship may be more important in your head than the money right now but as an owner of a company, you CAN make trouble for him – and you should. There are a lot of things that I let my narcissist ex slide on but money was not one of them.

        You can write and call and he can stay silent but if you go the legal route, he will have to pay you. Please let me know what has happened, if anything, since you wrote here. I will look for you…

        Zari:)

  • Ann

    March 19, 2017 at 9:57 pm Reply

    I’ve been involved with someone for the better part of 8 years… 4 in a very unique capacity… good friends. We saw each other every day. 4 more years of barely any communication. He’s just resurfaced in my life over the past 11 months and has professed all kinds of feelings I never knew he had. It started out so well… or so I thought. He manipulated me into a relationship he knew I couldn’t say no to. He was so persistent. We are now on 8 months of a “I get a hey text followed by a few days of conversation, followed by an explicit video or message… followed by a few days of intimacy, followed by a follow up day of niceness… followed by 3-4 weeks of silence.” By silence… I mean nothing. I have chosen not to pursue him during these times of silence. I feel like just when I start to feel normal again he comes back into my life. He never says anything too hurtful… just disappears. We made plans to be together just this last week after the standard week of texts and videos and messages… when I text him on the day we were supposed to go out… nothing. silence. No explanation this time. Nothing. I hold my breath for weeks at a time. Waiting. I haven’t felt like myself for months. I love this man and he is slowly killing me. We’ve gone as long as 6 weeks without talking and 2 months without sex but he always comes back and each time I am hopeful I will finally be enough for him to stay. This hurts. This is the most hurtful thing I have ever experienced.

    • Zari Ballard

      March 20, 2017 at 6:40 pm Reply

      Hi Ann,

      Please read my book When Love Is a Lie because it WILL DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE WITH THIS PERSON. Seriously, you will think that you wrote every word yourself. I, too, knew my narc ex as a friend for years and then didn’t see him for 4 years when we hooked up to be “a couple”. He then became the King of the Silent Treatment – for no reason at all. After a great weekend and just when I would let my guard down, he’d fall off the grid. Then, when he was ready or sensed I was getting better, he’d push the reset button. DO NOT STAND FOR THIS!

      This entire blog is dedicated to what I learned from that very relationship…there are over 80 articles here so please read. My book tells my story and how I finally broke away mentally and you will think my boyfriend is your boyfriend. I put up with this nonsense for 13 years and – yes – the silent treatment nearly killed me. Like you, it was EASILY the most hurtful, soul-splitting relationship behavior EVER.

      Stop this now or he will do it until the end of time. The game will never get old for him and he has managed down your expectations so that he gets away with it. He needs to be kicked to the curb before another year goes by and then another. Save yourself, sister…we are all here to support you…

      Zari xo

    • Ann

      March 25, 2017 at 2:50 pm Reply

      I feel like I should make some clarifying statements. Part of the problem is that I am married… and the N I have been seeing is someone I never expected to have any kind of relationship with. In a million years I would not have predicted this story unfolding. Now that I am 11 months in… I still sit back and mourn the loss of “normality” in my life. My husband is unaware of the relationship. After 4 years of great friendship with my N then 4 years of hardly any contact at all.. I told myself that if he ever came back into my life I would stick it out. I have longed for restoration in this relationship for so long that I was willing to do just about anything. I miss my friend. I would give anything to take back where this relationship has gone but here we are. He claims that no one in his life ever stays around… no one except me. Sometimes I feel like I hear nuggets of truth escaping from his mouth and then we start the cycle all over again and I question whether he has ever said anything true to me. If our relationship ever became public knowledge it would ruin both of our lives. I am afraid of what will happen if I cut him completely off. Im afraid of what he will do and say. He has a lot to lose as well by revealing he has been with me… his family would never forgive him and would cut him off completely from their lives. He is silent now but I hold my breath waiting for the next time he contacts me.

  • Paloma

    March 5, 2017 at 8:18 pm Reply

    “The excitement before the trauma (of betrayal and neglect) is created during the devalue stage…that point in time right before a discard when our intuition has already told us he’s going to leave based on his behaviors. It’s that knot-in-the-stomach feeling, the overwhelming urge to call his phone 100 times, the torment of cognitive dissonance…. it’s the hours spent scouring the internet looking for clues…it’s the feeling we get from the chaos that a narcissist ALWAYS creates right before the silence. Like it or not, we become highly addicted to his narcissistic behaviors and all of the nonsense that goes with it… and we miss it like a motherfucker when it’s gone…when, suddenly, the narcissist goes silent. We long for the connection – as manipulated and fabricated as it is – until we can barely breathe. Then, right before we either kill ourselves or come to our senses, in swoops the narcissist once again – like a Phoenix rising – to give us the second reinforcement: the peace of surrender that happens afterwards. His reappearance is meticulously timed for maximum effect and usually follows a silent treatment that has lasted just a tad longer than the one before. The narcissist is conditioning us to accept less and less so he can get away with more each time he vanishes.

    Either way, this second dose of reinforcement – the peace of surrender – is absolutely heaven! Again, it’s an addiction – to the narcissist and the make-up sex, to the vanishing of our anxiety, and to the feeling of calmness and euphoria we get from knowing that, once again, we’ve been given a reprieve to breathe until the cycle repeats again. Seduce and discard…seduce and discard…till the end of all fucking time. And, at the moment it’s happening, we’re actually okay with that! In fact, there’s no place in the world we’d rather be.”

    Oh. My. God. This describes it. Hits the nail on the head. Every word. 🙁

    • Zari Ballard

      March 7, 2017 at 2:28 pm Reply

      Thank you, Paloma. When we’re involved with these monsters, our lives are all but interchangeable. This is why recovery has to be a team effort…and I am here to support you….

      Zari xo

      • Mimi

        March 27, 2017 at 10:14 am Reply

        Hi Zari,
        How have you been? I don’t know if you remember me at all, its’ Mimi. Yes, they are truly monsters! Can you believe i’m still going through it and struggling with it all. I maintain no contact then he reappears again saying he would like to get back together slowly. (of course i agree and he starts coming over in the mornings for coffee, but it doesn’t last). She’s still around the ow but won’t tell you much about it, just that he sees her (he calls it visits her at the old age home she lives at). Of course i tell him it has to end and he agrees. Says he is breaking it off, their relationship has gotten stale the last 6 months. Then of course he cries and cries telling me he loves me.. Then Poof again, he turns off his phone goes back to her..
        He does it right before Christmas which is so upsetting..What evil type of person keeps doing the same thing? Can he really be so confused on why he keeps seeing her?? Can it really be love he feels for her?
        Zari i look forward to your comments. Thank you so much.

        • Zari Ballard

          April 3, 2017 at 2:09 am Reply

          Hi Mimi,

          Girl, this has been going on way too long. It simply has to stop. You can’t possibly believe that he is “confused”…this guy is a complete creep and always has been. You don’t have to let him back in each time he does this, Mimi. He doesn’t care about anyone and anything. All he wants is to know is that you are still on the hook so that 1) you never move on, and 2) he always has a place to stay when the OW annoys him.

          Since we first communicated way back when, I now provide phone consultations. Think about doing that, Mimi, so that we can hash this out. I have thought of you so many times, wondering what happened and how you were doing. I still want to help and a consultation would do you wonders. It just may change everything for you finally…you’d be amazed. I have so much more insight than I did even back then and I can help you through this. It’s all about changing your perspective…you’ve got to open your eyes and see him for what he is. Your life will blossom once he is gone! You have to give it that chance, sister.

          In the meantime, this website has over eighty articles posted. I tried to cover all topics so you will relate to all of the information here. I do hope you will book some time. You can do this Mimi! Life is too short…he will do this until the end of time if you allow it. It has to stop.

          Zari xo

          • Mimi

            April 4, 2017 at 8:09 am

            Hi Zari,
            Thank you for getting back to me! I know i’m the stupid one for keep thinking he will change… It’s just he’s so convincing each time. All those years spent together just mean nothing. I quess that’s the hardest part to accept i mean nothing to him and never did. I will think about booking time! Thank you so much for all you do, i totally appreciate it. God Bless you, Mimi

  • Nicki

    February 28, 2017 at 11:13 am Reply

    Hi Zari – I have a question – I know I’m seeing a narcissist – I’ve been reading your website periodically over the past year because I’ve been mostly in denial that he is / was a narcissist. I’m at the devaluation stage / silent treatment. I knew the silent treatment was coming because over the past two months he’s been devaluing me – texts which came each day and every day slowed down, his compliments of me and vows of love completely stopped and commitments of getting together were vague and ended up in a no show with little explanation. We haven’t even had sex for 7 weeks which is a little unusual – because of him travelling out of town we would have sex every two to three weeks. He tried to pick a fight last Friday – of course this was after he said he would spend time with me which resulted in silence for the afternoon and well into the early evening until I called him to find out what was going on. He was rude and short and started to yell at me. I was very calm and stated how disrespectful and rude his actions were and ended the conversation. Now I’m into the first silent treatment of our 11 month relationship. 4 days have gone by and I have not contacted him nor has he contacted me. I’ve blocked him on my phone, unblocked him, put him on do not disturb and then did the whole thing all over again.

    I know I have to be done with this BS. I’ve known for about 6 months but he confused me – every time I would try and break up amicably he would message me. Each time I had a conversation with him about whether this “relationship” was working, he would deny that he didn’t want to break up with me. The past two months have been really bad – it happened just after Christmas when I went to see my family who live out of town (he had family commitments as well) and he started to give me the cold shoulder, not show up when he said he would, feign sickness etc. It’s been very uncomfortable for the past two months and I just can’t take it anymore. I want him to leave me alone but according to your website I’m thinking he never will. He likes the drama and the game. I do not. I’m sick to death of it.

    Since this is my first silent treatment, if I keep up with the blocking and vow not to contact him back “if” he does message me, will he hoover me? I know this is going to happen – all his other behaviors are text book. I’ve blocked him everywhere except the only place I can’t really block him is my residence (I can not move and will not). I am installing a security camera with two way conversation this weekend outside my house – that way if he does show up I can video record and possibly tell him to F off without seeing his face. Do you think this tactic will work?

    Please help!

    • Zari Ballard

      March 4, 2017 at 6:42 pm Reply

      Hi Nicki,

      Well, I love the security/two way idea. It’s much easier to tell him to fuck off that way – I love it! Then you NEVER have to do the face to face thing. And the blocking of course. He certainly does sound textbook – no doubt about that! Look, there’s no way to know when and if they’ll return but I’ve yet to see them go away right off the bat. Since this is the very first silence, he’s going to want to see how far he can push the envelope. It’s all up to you how it ends up. What we allow will continue. Sure, he may keep coming back but eventually he’ll stop because he will get sidetracked with other things and the time between hoovers will get longer and longer. In the meantime, you’ll have time to heal – that’s what it’s all about.

      You’re on the right track….you have the power right now, keep it that way:)

      Zari xo

  • Gail

    January 19, 2017 at 8:02 am Reply

    Hello Again.
    I have not been here in awhile. During my absence I have found myself slowly yet continuously improving.
    I have read the book When Love is a Lie.
    Great knowledge of what really happened in my life. I felt many emotions as I read. I also let go of some emotional baggage.
    I am now reading and working through my second book: Stop Spinning, Start Breathing.
    I now can get through a day without being stuck still waiting for him.
    Still waiting and searching for answers I have come to realize I could search til the end of time and still would not find a reason nor why.
    I have accepted that.
    I’m so very grateful for your site and your support.
    I have searched many sites since finding this one to gain as much complete understanding of the subject as possible.
    I did not find another with the upfront informational resources and group support as there is here.
    One thing stand deeply in my mind.( Well actually many things) but in particular this:
    I read on many sites that we need to accept and accept how WE!! Have enabled ourselves to fall a victim of circumstances because of behavioral issues we need help finding change with. I cannot find the “professional term” used but my point is.:
    There is NOT no way in HELL will I ever accept that I allowed such a thing to happen in my life. Never would I enable such a horrible person to behave in an inhumane such as that bastard’s behavioral issues.
    Accept that you survived. Accept that the jail time and more personal loss is not worth it.
    Accept that you will learn to live life instead of exist in it.
    Take that deep breath and accept your well deserved freedom.
    Thank you God bless

  • Gail

    December 29, 2016 at 3:29 am Reply

    Hello again,
    I again apologize for my outburst earlier today.
    I started feeling overwhelmed with mixed emotions & I emotionally broke down. Laying in my room had a long cry, and processing my thoughts. I wrote in my personal book I have for writing anything I feel, as I feel it. That slows my thought process level back to rational thinking. There were old memories flashing back with new realizations,
    I felt anxiety and hurt just like as if he were right in front of me saying all his ugly hateful bullshit ,yelling at me with that stupid look on his face when I wrote earlier today.
    Reading the book focusing on what I was reading. I started visualizing what I was reading and I became angry,disgustd and shock of what I was realizing . If I had had this knowledge I now have when I was there. I truly feel I might have had a different mindset.
    I don’t really know for sure I stayed for a lot of abuse! Physical,sexual, and emotional.
    One thing I mentioned in one of my post about TSS I felt a relation to.
    You see I knew him through a friend for many years prior in Dallas. He came to visit that fried in 2012 in Corpus Christi.
    We all got together and had dinner &drinks.
    He kissed me out of nowhere an f one thing led to another. The next day all was well, still friends had a good time.
    That day he invited me to go visit him where he lived. I thought why not we’ve been friends forever. Both single. So we set it for the next weekend. He left the next day.
    I was excited the whole week because I was being me!
    Who “me” was then was another woman who’s dead. I was the most independent, self confidence, in control of my happy life woman.
    I was always a strong minded person who people commented on my unique personality.
    My daughter’s thought I was a Goddesses because I was always strong and held us together through an ugly divorce. I believed in myself ,I was compassionate and real as real gets .That’s who I was when I took the bus for the weekend to see him.2hrs away.
    Friday was great we had so much fun continuing through Saturday. Two amazing days of being catered to, receiving passionate amazing sex, and what I thought to be a friendship with possible casual encounters in the future. Then Sunday! Standing there by the door my bag next to the floor, waiting for him to take me to the bus station. He walked towards the me leaned in to kiss me as if to say goodbye. Instead he picked up the bag and told me I would not be going to the bus,I wasn’t going back home to the family and friends I loved. I was going to stay with him he said, I laughed it of. “No you belong to me now” you’re staying here! He said taking my bag and taking me by the arm into the room as I cried,
    Unbelievably pleading for an explanation. He took my clothes off & the 1st of many sexual encounters I would be serving “my man” as he put it. It took him 3 months to make me believe that. By then I just went with as a means of survival. I was tierd of trying to understand, how you just take someone out of the world & make them your property.
    My story is already too long so to get shorter…
    He did some very amazing thing’s and some very astonishing thing’s over the next 3 years I learned to love my man and whatever he wanted of me I did…..I loved him

    • Gail

      December 29, 2016 at 3:40 am Reply

      I don’t mean to keep venting here. But no one else knows what you know. Nobody listens anymore.
      Anyway I wanted to let you know I read your book today. Thank you so much it was great.
      I see a lot of thing’s I did not before.
      I also realize I believe I’ll get better, never recover completely, but better.
      I realized somethings I do need changes.
      An it’s me who need the No Contact rule.
      I have a lot of changing to do.
      Thank you again
      Gail

      • Ramone

        December 29, 2016 at 1:05 pm Reply

        Hey Gail,

        I come to this site often, just to reaffirm what I’ve learned and to find strength. It’s been a rough time lately, so I’ve been reading and re-reading a lot! So I just wanted to let you know that it may feel like no one is listening, but you’re not alone. There’s a bunch of us putting up a good fight to get away from our Narcs. Hang in there! Some days are gonna suck, and some days will be better. You might make mistakes, sometimes we give in because we do still love so much, and we get shit on again and it hurts even more, but keep standing up, keep dusting yourself off, keep coming back and reading this stuff! Zari has done a world of good for me! I didn’t understand half of what was going on before, but now I feel like I have at least some control over what I’m doing… you will too, I’m sure of it!

        Ramone

        • Gail

          December 29, 2016 at 8:51 pm Reply

          Hello Ramon,
          Thank you for your encouragement. I plan to do my very best to stay here and move on.
          Until I stumbled upon this site by Googling Why do I still love my abuser?
          I was clueless to what a Narcissist even was. I saw something about going back to your abuse started reading the article, and it blew my mind.
          The more I read the more I felt an intense feeling of disbelief and anxiety go through my body.
          It was as if I had wrote the stories about my life with him myself.
          I sat there the whole day into night reading everything I could read. I could not believe this. I was so numb and hurt to know this is what my relationship truly was.
          He never loved me! That made me go blank. he pushed so hard to teach me love, to open up, and seemed so desperate to be love.
          it was me who wanted nothing to do with love at all. So that was a shock.
          I am truly happy I did come here it has brought new light into the thinking I have always had.
          I feel many different emotions, some new and some from the past creeping back.
          Knowing that this site is here and that there are people here who know, they know what I’m talking about the feel the pain so unbearable at times
          I have exhausted all my outlets of listeners nobody want to hear about it anymore. They think I’m crazy and tell me its dumb to feel the way I do because of the way he was.
          anymore it not how HE was it’s about how I am
          I am again happy to be here and am happy to meet you.
          I hope you also get through your situation finding comfort and hopeful.
          thank you for your reply.
          Gail.

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