The Narcissistic Cycle: Love Bombing, Devaluation, Discard and Hoovering
One of the most confusing aspects of a narcissistic relationship is that it rarely feels consistently bad. There are genuinely good periods — sometimes wonderful ones. There are moments of real connection, warmth and hope. And then, without clear warning, everything shifts. Understanding the narcissistic cycle is one of the most clarifying things a survivor […]
Narcissistic Supply — How It Works
Narcissistic supply is one of the most important concepts in understanding how narcissistic relationships actually function. Once you understand it, behaviour that previously felt confusing, random or inexplicable suddenly makes complete sense — including why the relationship felt the way it did, why it ended the way it did, and why you may not have […]
Future Faking: How Narcissists Use False Promises to Keep You Hooked
Future faking is one of the most painful aspects of narcissistic relationships — and one of the least talked about. It describes the pattern where a narcissistic partner makes promises about the future that they have no genuine intention of keeping. A home together. Marriage. Children. Travel. A better version of the relationship just around […]
The Silent Treatment: Why Narcissists Use It and What It Does to You
The silent treatment feels deeply unpleasant in any relationship. In a relationship with a narcissist, however, it becomes something far more calculated. Rather than a childish sulk or a cooling-off period, the silent treatment is a deliberate tool — one that serves the narcissist’s need for control while leaving their partner anxious, confused and desperate […]
Gaslighting From a Narcissist: How and Why They Do It
Gaslighting is not unique to narcissistic relationships. However, in the hands of a narcissistic partner, it becomes something more systematic — a deliberate and consistent rewriting of reality that serves a very specific purpose. Understanding how narcissists use gaslighting, and crucially why, is one of the most clarifying steps a survivor can take. If you […]
Types of Narcissism
Understanding the different types of narcissism is one of the most clarifying things a survivor of narcissistic abuse can do. Narcissists do not all behave in the same way, and the types of narcissism vary significantly — from loud and openly arrogant to quiet, self-pitying and deeply covert. If your experience did not match the […]
Not All Abusers Are Narcissists: Understanding the Difference
When people start researching an abusive relationship, narcissism is often the first word they find. It makes sense. Narcissistic abuse can explain so much: the charm, the love bombing, the manipulation, the put-downs, the discard and the constant feeling that you are somehow the problem. For many survivors, narcissism is the right lens. However, sometimes […]
Am I Dating a Narcissist? The Red Flags to Look For
If you have searched this question, part of you probably already knows something is wrong. Maybe you feel confused, emotionally drained or somehow smaller than you used to feel. Perhaps you cannot fully explain what is happening, but deep down, something does not feel right. This article will not diagnose your partner. Only a qualified […]
When Women Say ‘I’m Scared’ — Why Are We Still Not Listening?
Two women are dead. Two separate cases. Two different cities. Both stories have reignited public anger around violence against women, coercive control and whether authorities recognise warning signs early enough. In Bristol, 35-year-old Jo Shaw died in an explosion after police said her former partner forced entry to a property while carrying an explosive device. […]
PTSD After Abuse and Trauma
Post-traumatic stress disorder — PTSD — is a real, well-documented mental health condition that can develop after experiencing traumatic events. Most people associate it with war or disaster. However, domestic abuse, coercive control, emotional abuse and prolonged fear within a relationship are among the most common causes of PTSD there is. If you have left […]
Steps to Recovery After Domestic Abuse
Recovery after domestic abuse is real. It happens every day, for people who have been through experiences far darker and more complicated than the world around them ever understood. Whatever you have been through, however long it lasted and however stuck you feel right now, recovery is not just possible — it is waiting for […]
Children and Domestic Abuse
If you are a parent who has experienced domestic abuse, your children are probably never far from your thoughts. How much do they know? What have they understood? How do you talk to them about what happened — and how do you protect them going forward, especially if you still have to have contact with […]