In this episode we explore the grief related to abuse - and more specifically narcissistic abuse. If you have a close relationship with your family - think for a moment what that relationship would look like if they set you for a lifetime of abuse as you were growing up, and then into your adulthood. Instead of giving you the love and support you deserved, they chose to cover their own tracks from possible exposure, by making you out to be the bad guy and supporting your abusive partner instead. Truly, It's enough to send anyone crazy! Having the courage to stand up for yourself and speak your truth becomes the death of your family and loved ones. To all intents and purposes - you are a whistleblower - and that's an incredibly courageous, risky, and heartbreaking situation to be in.

To find yourself - the trade-off is to lose your family. This is what victims of abuse typically encounter when they leave their abusive situations, and there are probably some of you listening right now who will be able to relate to this.

So, if you have been set up for this type of situation, how on earth do you go about extricating yourself?

That is what Dana Diaz is going to share with us today. She is the author of Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse detailing the many decades she endured this type of abuse. When she finally ended the cycle of abuse, she was exiled and ghosted by friends, family, acquaintances in her son's school and in her church. She takes us through that - including how to identify some red flags for anyone who might be in a similar situation, and why it is so important for anyone who is experiencing this type of abuse to do find their way out.

Dana's Bio

Dana S. Diaz studied journalism and psychology at DePaul University. While there’s no better teacher than life experience and Dana has had life-long experiences with narcissistic abuse, her education did give her the ability to accurately verbalize and express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims.

Today, Dana is a proud voice for fellow victims who are unable, afraid, or ashamed to share their experiences. She strives to create awareness and understanding to ensure victims are given the support they need to first understand their situation and then begin the healing process. Her first book, chronicling her own abusive marriage that lasted nearly three decades, started as a journal that she hid under the couch cushion in the basement.

Quote:

"In a lifetime with narcissists, nobody ever asked me what I want because they didn't care what I wanted. They only cared what they wanted." ~ Dana Diaz

Resources:

Dana's links:

Website: https://danasdiaz.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danasdiazauthor

IG: https://www.instagram.com/danas.diaz

Gasping for Air: https://www.amazon.com/Gasping-Air-Stranglehold-Narcissistic-Abuse/dp/B0C6WBCWNG/

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Check out A Letter of Hope & Aroha (aLoHA) on this link:

https://thebeautifulsideofgrief.com/p/aLoHA

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And heartfelt Thanks to Gabe Dovaston for the music!