Angela Atkinson's Blog, page 26

Toxic Relationships

“Controllers, abusers, and manipulative people don’t question themselves. They don’t ask themselves if the problem is them. They always say the problem is someone else.” ~Darlene Quimet

Toxic relationships aren’t always obviously toxic to the untrained eye. In fact, even people who are actively engaged in toxic relationships aren’t always aware that they’re dealing with a toxic person. As outrageous as this sounds, it’s an unfortunate fact. There are many reasons that we don’t always...

‘Love’ with a Sociopath: The Cookie Illustration

~THE COOKIE ILLUSTRATION~

What is ‘love’ with a sociopath like?

Well, imagine there’s a vending machine in front of you with one big red button that says, ‘FREE COOKIES’. At first, the cookies are so delicious.. so euphoric. But afterward, every time you press the button, you receive a painful electric shock.

But you keep pressing the button, hoping.. becoming frantic. After about the 99th time of getting shocked, you get a broken chip of a cookie.

You actually feel sad, yet you are thankful...

Trauma Bonding

Trauma bonding is a common condition among narcissistic abuse survivors and their abusers. Thanks to an ongoing cycle of intermittent reinforcement, many survivors of toxic relationships go through this, much like kidnapping victims and hostages do.

Trauma bonding is often a bigger issue for people who also grew up in toxic and abusive homes, partially just because it feels like “normal” to them.

As Warwick Middleton said, “The capacity for dissociation enables the young child to exercise...

Identifying Emotionally Unavailable People in Relationships

“Most people in the psychology field believe that if we do not get a child to bond at a deep level with someone by age eight, we have lost them. We can never recover them and teach them empathy. Never.” ~Patti Henry, Author of The Emotionally Unavailable Man

Emotionally unavailable people in relationships can often be appealing to people – especially those of us who like to help “fix” people’s problems, those of us who enjoy solving a good mystery, and those of us who may have experienced an...

Healing from Emotional Abuse

“It is not the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind.” ~Aisha Mirza

Emotional abuse, which may also be referred to as psychological abuse, is a pervasive and painful form of abuse that is often overlooked by even the victim. As difficult as it can be to detect, it can affect literally every part of a person’s life and can lead to other psychological and physical health issues.

While you might not see physical scars on a victim of emotional abuse, there are lifel...

How to Stop Gaslighting in Toxic Relationships (No-Fail Genius Technique)

How to Stop Gaslighting in Relationships (Plus the Original Gray Rock Story) and Tips for Using the Gray Rock Method (Safely)

Communicating with a narcissist can be incredibly frustrating, especially when it matters that they comprehend what you’re saying. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt exasperated when trying to have simple conversations with narcissists who are actively gaslighting.

In this video, I’m going to explain to you the three stages of gaslighting, plus exactly why we fall for it. Plus: I’ll share the original story o...

How to Manage Guilt Related to Your Toxic Relationship with a Narcissist

“Guilt can prevent us from setting the boundaries that would be in our best interests, and in other people’s best interests.” ~Melody Beattie

Narcissists have this way of manipulating your emotions by playing the victim and holding little “pity parties” for themselves. They play the martyr. They make you responsible for their emotional well-being. Often, that means giving you guilt trips that are not only...

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Support: A New Way to Get Answers

Narcissistic Relationship Recovery Support: A New Way to Get Answers by Angie Atkinson

Sometimes, you just want to ask a question. Or you want to know that you’re not alone and that you’re not crazy. Maybe you simply need validation and direction on what you’re going through. Or you just want to know what to do next.

Maybe you don’t have the time or money for a coaching session by phone. Maybe you just prefer to text. Or you’re just looking for a less-expensive way to get the personal, one...

Save 35% On Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coaching with Lise Through Jan. 1, 2020

Special Holiday Rate for One-Hour Coaching Sessions With Lise Colucci

As the holidays approach, we want to make narcissistic abuse recovery support coaching as accessible as possible without breaking your budget. We know firsthand how tough the holidays can be for survivors of narcissistic abuse. That’s why we’ve decided to offer extremely discounted, personal one-on-one coaching starting today.

From now through January 1, 2020 coaching is available with Lise at 35% off the regular one hour session rate. Click he...

Narcissists Believe Their Own Lies: Here’s Why

Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Cognitive Distortions – According to my research, there’s such a thing as “cognitive distortions” which are often associated with narcopaths, people with NPD (narcissistic personality disorder) and those in psychopathological states.

These cognitive distortions are defined as “exaggerated or irrational thought patterns that are believed to perpetuate the effects of psychopathological states, especially depression and anxiety.”

The first person to study these kinds of distor...