What I learned shocked me:
Waking up at 3am with intrusive thoughts and anxiety about the abuse
Feeling demolished, ruined, and questioning if you'll ever be normal again
Seeing narcissistic traits everywhere and unable to trust anyone (including yourself)
Still feeling trauma bonded - hating them but somehow still having feelings
Unable to offer your kids hope about love and family because it feels like too much risk
Feeling like you're in an alternate reality where nothing makes sense and you don't recognize yourself
Sleeping through the night and waking up feeling like yourself again
Understanding EXACTLY why this happened and knowing with certainty it won't happen again
Able to trust your instincts and discern healthy people from toxic ones without paranoia
Completely free from the trauma bond - genuinely indifferent to their existence
Confidently teaching your children about healthy love while modeling it for them
Feeling like YOU again - maybe even a stronger, wiser, more badass version than before