My name is Michele, I was born & raised on a proper Midwest working farm in rural Illinois. I grew up with a loving extended family...

Narcissist abuse is a choice. They will use emotional and psychological abuse through gaslighting, manipulation and blame shifting.

Mirroring in relationships is healthy. It is a natural way of connecting with others. Healthy mirroring happens over time. However, a narcissist uses a dark mirror. They begin mirroring in the first moments of meeting someone. The dark mirroring is a tactic they use to establish trust. His mirroring began in our very first conversation. He asked if I had kids, I said no, but I want one. He said, "I want a 2nd chance to build a family". He "always wanted a grocery store". He "

Narcissism isn't new. It is in folklore, fairytales, Greek mythology, Bible verses, and in every culture around the world. It hides in...

Actual advice I’ve received while living with and after leaving the Covert Narcissist 1. Join Alanon FACT: Not all addicts are narcissists, but all narcissists have addictions. I did join because, it was clear to me, he did have addictions. I needed this self-reflection and community to cope with that and keep my sanity. It did not address his emotional abuse. 2. Run. Run for your life and never look back TRANSLATION: You can't change him, you won't get an apology, run. A

This was one of the hardest posts for me to voice. Too ashamed to reach out to loved ones, I talked myself through the darkest moments...

Clutching tightly, you used my body, my mind, and my light. I mistook it for the safety and protection I craved. You held cognitive...

I was once told by a yoga student “You have a gift of casting a very wide net for others to be their complete self, without judgment”. In...

I reached out to Jen. The experiences we had in our time with him ran parallel to each other. She has been such a source of kindness and...

I carry a lot of shame for trusting him. How could I have been so naive? I truly thought this man was my life partner. Intellectually,...

Bravely, I speak. Your textbook smear campaign will ensue to protect your secrets, boost your public image and mend your fragile ego. I...

It’s easy to label a consistently toxic person as toxic. It's simple in that relationship to understand a boundary needs to be set and...

You stole my dream. You took my hard work and trashed it. You walked into my building and business with wide eyes. You saw your narcissistic jackpot. You immediately asked how much equity I had in the building, and how much debt I had in the business. You were in awe. You called me a power player. You began scheming how this could be yours. Then you got to work. Sending your team in, not accepting my no as an answer, I was coerced to trust you. You played on my emotional exha

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it." Maya Angelou You underestimated me. You met me at a low after...

It was my fault. Your affair was my fault, you said. I had become emotionally withdrawn and so you had to look for someone else. It makes...

I lived in fear of those words. It was never just a question. It was the same question on repeat until he badgered me into submission....

I didn’t know. You did. You tested me as soon as you met me. When you knew I didn’t see through you, you shamelessly sunk your teeth into...

I watched myself rage against your control. Minimized to a shell of myself, I had nowhere else to go. I couldn’t get smaller without...

You got me. You preyed on my vulnerability, grief, and ignorance. Your manipulation, gaslighting, and projection shattered me. You masterfully took a piece of me with every day that passed in our relationship. You shredded my confidence, you oppressed my autonomy, you suffocated my ability to dream, you tried to squeeze every ray of hope from me and then eliminated my smile from the world. Your constant chaos, invalidation, devaluation, and infidelity left me questioning my r

I always ran. From an early age, I ran until I had a runner’s high. I loved the rush of not being able to think, a way to get myself out...