Most of the case studies on abuse in this chapter have been about forms of emotional abuse and neglect that often go unnoticed. For people who have experienced any form of abuse—whether sexual, physical, emotional, or narcissistic—at any point in life, fawning is a common, brilliant, and underrecognized strategy. It doesn’t have to look like being a chameleon—it can look like putting all your energy and attention into pleasing the abuser, spending more time with them, defending them, doing anything in your control to make them happy. This can include sexual fawning—complying with unwanted
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