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Trauma & Narcissism Redefined

My Survivor Story Of Covert Narcissistic Abuse - Divorce, Debt & Depression

Trauma & Narcissism Redefined

Caroline Strawson

Narcissisticabuse, Health & Fitness, Narcissist, Self-improvement, Education, Recovery, Mental Health, Trauma

4.8701 Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this powerful and personal episode, I share my own survivor story as a woman who lived through the devastation of covert narcissistic abuse.I open up about the day my life completely changed when my covert narcissistic ex walked out, leaving me with two children, over £70,000 of debt, and a nervous system in collapse. I spiralled into depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and eventually complex PTSD. I lost my home, my confidence, and for a long time, my sense of self.This episode is for anyone who’s ever questioned their reality. Anyone who has been told it wasn’t abuse because there were no visible bruises snd anyone who has felt silenced, unseen, and deeply alone.You’ll hear about:• The subtle manipulations of a covert narcissist and how they break you down over time• The impact of emotional abuse on your identity, nervous system, and financial wellbeing• How post-separation abuse can be even more destructive than the relationship itself• The turning point in my healing and how I slowly rebuilt from the ground upThis isn’t just a story of survival, it’s a story of reclaiming power.Whether you’re still in the thick of it or working through the long tail of trauma, I hope this episode gives you the courage to believe that healing is not only possible, it’s inevitable with the right support. Don’t ever be alone in your journey and make sure you come and join my private Facebook community, No Visible Bruises where you can connect with other survivors of narcissistic abuse, domestic abuse and coercive control:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/novisiblebruises.

Disclaimer:The views and opinions shared in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and are intended for informational and educational purposes only. They do not substitute professional or medical advice. If you’ve been affected by anything discussed in today’s episode, please consider reaching out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional for support. You’re not alone, and help is always available.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to No Visible Bruises, the podcast that shares real-life survivor stories of narcissistic abuse, domestic abuse and coercive control from a physiology first and nervous system perspective, because you can't think your way out of this. You need to feel to heal. I'm Caroline Strawson, a survivor myself and now a trauma expert and

0:23.6

educator. I am here to create change and understanding of the unseen abuse that we are not taught

0:30.5

about in schools and to heal from the inside out at a nervous system level. Let's break the silence

0:37.2

and change the narrative because we heal

0:40.4

together. Massive welcome to No Visible Bruises where I share survivor stories of narcissistic abuse,

0:53.1

domestic abuse and coercive control.

0:56.1

Now, I've been absolutely thrilled with the response that we have had about all of our

1:00.5

incredible interviews. But one of the key things some of you have mentioned is you're missing

1:04.6

some of those kind of snapshot educational episodes that I always used to do. So I'm going to

1:10.3

start to throw some more of those in.

1:12.0

And ideally what we'll have is two survivor stories a month and also two educational podcasts each

1:17.9

month as well. And in today's episode, I want to talk to you a bit really about my own

1:22.5

survivor story because I think it's really, really important that so many people look at me now and think,

1:28.3

Caroline, I can't imagine that you were ever in an abusive relationship, but you're only seeing

1:33.1

me at this chapter. And I really want to share some of my highs and some of my very, very

1:39.1

lows so that you know, wherever you are right now on your journey in an abusive relationship,

1:46.2

that there is light and hope at the end of the tunnel. One of the key things I think I've learned

1:50.9

along the way is that there are certain types of people that end up in these abusive relationships

1:56.7

and that isn't about shaming people into, well, it's your fault why you end up in these

2:02.3

types of relationships. Actually, it's the kindest, nicest, most empathetic people that end up in

2:09.4

abusive relationships. Because that is what abusers look for. Narcissists, domestic abusers,

2:15.6

coercive controllers. I mean, let's be on it. It's all the same thing,

...

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