Welcome to the narcissistic abuse and trauma recovery podcast. I'm Caroline Stawson and I'll be sharing with you, awareness, understanding and education about the devastating effects of narcissistic abuse. I've been exactly where you are right now. And this podcast is a beacon of hope

for you to know that you are believed, you are seen, you are heard and you are not alone. And my hope

for listening to the podcast is it will help you move from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth after the trauma of narcissistic abuse

because it is possible. You are enough and you deserve to thrive. Hi my friends. A massive warm

welcome to the narcissistic abuse and trauma recovery podcast. As always, it's my pleasure to be here

with you on this episode. And I know us getting to know each other is because of your experience

of narcissistic abuse, but I am so glad you are here because let me tell you, the narcissist was like

an alarm clock to me.

He woke me up to what was actually important in my life.

So whilst I know many of you are going to be literally at rock bottom, just as I was,

please know that there is a light at the end of that tunnel.

And it takes time and intention, but you absolutely can come out the other side to go on and lead an even better

life because of the trauma that you have experienced because of the narcissists.

And we actually call this post-traumatic growth in positive psychology, which is really integrated

into a lot of work that I do.

So the first thing that I want to say is apologies.

My voice sounds a little bit

husky, a little bit lower and sexier maybe, or not. I have hay fever and I'm convinced my hay fever

was brought about because when I was six months pregnant with my daughter, that was when I found out

about one of the affairs my husband was having at the time.

And I am convinced because it was around that time that I then started to suffer with hay fever.

And I kind of hoped it was just pregnancy hormones. That's why I was suffering.

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