SurvivingToThriving with Meghan

Spiritual abuse is a complicated topic because everyone's religious beliefs are different, everyone typically thinks that their beliefs are the correct ones, and many, many abuse survivors have had religion used against them at some point, either by their abuser or as secondary abuse (sometimes referred to as double abuse) by their church or families. Often, the victim ends up leaving the church altogether due to this abuse.  ...

Do you know someone who's so difficult to disagree with that it's just a waste of time? Do you find yourself agreeing just so that you don't have to argue, even if you know you're in the right? Or, do they have a reputation of 'always being right' to a point where it's just easier to agree? This is not ok.  This is not normal. In an intimate relationship, this is abuse. 

Intellectual Abu...

Social Abuse is easy to see in public when one partner is berating or humiliating the other in front of their friends, co-workers or family.  But what about at home? Behind closed doors? What does it look like to weaponize social relationships?

 Is spending time with your friends and/or family more of a hassle than it's worth? That was my experience. 

Some markers of social abuse include the following:
...

After a relapse that included complete stalling and avoidance due to perfectionism, I am back to share the markers of Emotional Abuse.  Remember, abuse is not one red flag or one harmful event.  It is a pattern over time that aims to control and coerce. 

If you're like me, maybe you didn't even know.  Nothing made sense until I was ready to learn but then once I did, I just couldn't unsee it. Check out this...

Psychological abuse. It's a beast.  It's confusing.  It's a mind fuck.  Here are some indicators and what they sound like:
-does things, denies it later (GASLIGHTING)
           ("What do you mean? I didn't do that.  You're remembering it wrong.")
-terrorizes, then acts like nothing happened
           (Throws a big fit about this or that, throws things, intimidates, threatens, a...

What does physical abuse look like when you have no bruises to show as proof?

I've really had to grow my thought patterns around the topic of physical abuse.  First I denied it. Then I excused it.  Then I recognized it.  Now I'm processing it. This is most commonly what my dialogue used to sound like:
1. But he never hit me.
2. It could be worse.
3. Other women are actually getting beat. I'm ...

In this episode I share what verbal abuse is, what that looked like for me, and how different things are now compared to what I experienced. One of these times I’ll get the timing right so it doesn’t cut off. Still learning here.

Here’s the power and control wheel and red flags charts that I refer to in this episode. If you or a loved one are experiencing abuse, or even questioning if what you are experiencing is normal, ...

A question I often get asked is “Didn’t you see any red flags?” My short answer is a simple no. Listen in for the long answer. The one that makes sense.

Resources:
Books:
No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder
Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell

Articles by Sarah McDougal:
What Does Domestic Violence Actually Look Like? 
You Might Be In An Abusive Relationship If...*

YouTube...