Narcissist Apocalypse: Patterns of Abuse

Veronica shares her tumultuous journey of surviving a coercive relationship that began in her teens and extended into her college years. From the first blush of teenage love to the terrifying descent into verbal abuse and sexual coercion, Veronica's story is an eye-opening account of the devastating effects of coercive control. Veronica found herself targeted, isolated, and trapped in a relationsh...

Brandon discusses Reactive Defense & the Reactive Defense Response, why it's significant, and how it's manipulated by abusers to shift blame onto their victims. You'll learn how these tactics are used to frame the abuser as the innocent party, manipulate victims into feeling guilt and shame, and even blackmail victims. We also shine a light on the widespread misconception of mutual abuse, and the...

Narcissist Apocalypse is a raw and unfiltered podcast that gives a voice to survivors of narcissistic abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence. Narcissist Apocalypse is part validation, part education, part self-discovery, and part support group. From 'Why do people stay?' to 'Why do manipulation tactics work?' You'll get angry. You'll learn. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll get inspired. Come fi...

Heidi is the scapegoat for her family. Her father was highly controlling, watching her every move, waiting to erupt at minimal slights of ever-changing and unpredictable goalposts. These events set the stage for a life of low self-esteem, confidence, and worth. It's a story of enmeshment, minimizing, denying, blame, putdowns, rage, sexual abuse, enabling, suicidal ideation, depression, bullying, i...

In this Q&A episode, Brandon discusses the different types of fear, fear responses, the motivation behind threats, and the different threat types wielded in abusive relationships. *** CONTENT WARNING - This episode discusses physical abuse & sexual coercion. *** If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click here or send us an email at narcissistapocalypse@gmail.com To help...

Madison felt something was off in her 'normal' marriage, but she couldn't pinpoint it for the first eight years. However, once Madison gave birth to her first child, her husband's facade dropped, and the person lurking beneath wreaked havoc on her life for good. It's a story of pedestals, isolation, smear campaigns, overwhelm, self defense, physical abuse, physical intimidation, escalation points,...

In this episode, Brandon talks with Dr. Ingrid Clayton about healing from narcissistic abuse and complex trauma. Dr. Clayton shares her personal story as we discuss her memoir, 'Believing Me', a powerful recount of her childhood trauma from a psychologist's perspective and her healing journey. Dr. Clayton also navigates through the heavy waters of trauma responses, reenactments, and how these reac...

Serenity was 20 years old when she met her abuser. He was 34 years old and a millionaire. Over the course of their 12 year relationship, Serenity endured physical violence, sexual coercion, financial manipulation, putdowns, isolation, and gaslighting. The damaging impact of this abuse inflicted a tremendous amount of stress on her mental and emotional health. From constant hyper vigilance, to body...

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse Q&A, we discuss the 4 Overwhelm Types and the abuse tactics that narcissistic abusers use to overwhelm their victims. We expose how manipulators overwhelm victims to gain control, using strategies like love bombing, future faking, gaslighting, isolation, physical abuse, rage, moving goal posts, victim playing, putdowns, nitpicking, the fog, intimidation, th...

Inez thought she met the man of her dreams. Inez truly believed that her new partner would give her the unconditional love she always wanted. However, Inez's ex was a wolf in sheep's clothing, mirroring her to get the control he always wanted. It's a story of intergenerational trauma, reenactments, jealousy, control, sexual coercion, gaslighting, love bombing, empty promises, abuse cycles, future...

What happens when a daughter grapples with a manipulative and controlling mother throughout her life? How does she navigate her path through minimization, denial, and blame? From the complexities of her mother's need to be the truth-teller, to the constant interference in her personal life and milestones, Joanne's story uncovers the severe effects of intergenerational trauma. Joanne will take you...

In this hybrid survivor story/q&a episode, Brandon discusses the three types of trauma reenactment that were running the lives of Jasmine and her abusive ex. Plus, Jasmine tells her story of being in an abusive relationship that she just couldn't quit. Jasmine dealt with ghosting, love bombing, gaslighting, physical intimidation, child sexual abuse, physical abuse, putdowns, nitpicking, rage, infi...

Stella met her charismatic partner through her sister. And even though Stella had some inner alarm bells ringing to run as things were moving quite quickly, her friends and family vouched for him. Everyone said go when they should have said slow down. As soon as Stella moved in, the abuse and coercive control began. Stella's partner tried to make her feel crazy, and it worked. Stella thought she w...

Bree and her family thought she married 'Mr. Perfect', but a week after their honeymoon, the coercive control began. At first, it started with isolation, then financial abuse, putdowns, sexual abuse, infidelity, triangulation, and more. It took a long time for Bree to free herself from the clutches of her husband, but she eventually got the divorce she was looking for. However, ten years post-divo...

Nothing Kelowna ever did was good enough for her abusive mother. All Kelowna knew was an ever-present sense of worthlessness as her mother's scapegoat. By the age of 14, Kelowna's mother pushed her right into the hands of her future abusive husband. And by the age of 20, Kelowna was pregnant and stuck in a very controlling relationship. It's a story of not feeling good enough, caretaking, parentif...

Saoirse was swept off her feet by her future husband. They shared the same likes and dreams for the future. Saoirse thought she met her soulmate. However, as soon as their first child was born, Saoirse's husband began to employ coercive control tactics. He isolated her from her family, financially abused her, and manipulated Saoirse to believe that everything wrong in the relationship was her faul...

Get ready to decode the intricate labyrinth of imposter syndrome and its profound ties to trauma and abuse. We promise you an enlightening journey where we dissect the essence of imposter syndrome, its symptoms, and its lasting effect on victims of abuse. We delve into the sinister tactics an abuser employs to manipulate a victim's identity to their advantage, leaving an indelible scar on a surviv...

Irina grew up under the rule of a narcissistic mother who wielded her brand of manipulative emotional abuse with the precision of a doctors scalpel. Over time, Irina began to feel defective, and unfortunately, that belief carried into her abusive romantic relationships as she got older. Irina's story is also about her sister who died by suicide as a child. Irina's story is a witness to her life. *...

Brandon discusses the things abuse survivors have lost from narcissistic abuse and the therapy modalities to help get some of these things back. Brandon delves into the loss of self, self-worth, self-confidence, emotional stability, financial stability, possessions, trust, family, friends, children, sanity, security, boundaries, innocence, happiness, self-respect, reputation, sleep, hobbies, inter...

Unbeknownst to Natalie, after locking eyes with her future ex at an event, chaos would inhabit her life for the next 3.5 years. Natalie's abuser masterfully manipulated her kindness to maintain control over her, using gaslighting, triangulation, compulsive lying, silent treatments, and more to keep her line. And when Natalie finally had enough of the abuse, her ex hoovered her back many times, use...

Brandon explores the intricate layers of poverty, court, the social services system, and the emotional/financial abuse on the Netflix series 'Maid'. We delve into the experiences of Alex, the protagonist, as she battles poverty, secures employment, and navigates through the challenging social services system - all while striving to protect her beloved daughter. Can you imagine standing in a courtr...

Plum takes us on a deep journey into her life marked by generational trauma, an abusive relationship, neglectful parenting, and emotional abuse. She boldly peels back the layers of her past, offering an unfiltered look into her mother's toxic family dynamics that reverberate throughout her life and into her abusive marriage. It's a story of generational trauma, gaslighting, physical abuse, sexual...

Brandon talks with Heather Youngs (LMHC & SEP) about the benefits of somatic therapy for little and big traumas. Plus, they discuss the mind/body balance, baselines, and getting out of your head. Heather Youngs can be reached by clicking here. *** CONTENT WARNING - This episode discusses physical harm. *** If you want to be a guest on our survivor story podcast, please click here or send us an ema...

Spoon is a survivor of online grooming, generational trauma, and an abusive relationship. This episode pulls no punches, shining a harsh light on the realities of exploitation and the toll it takes on one's self-worth. Yet, even in the darkest corners of her story, Spoon's spirit shines bright as she speaks of the recovery process and how she found her worth again. This conversation is not just ab...

After Leyla fled her state from her most recent abuser, she worked hard at starting a new life. However, lurking in the shadows was the father of her son, and he did everything in his power to halt Leyla's fresh start by alienating her child from her. It's a story of addiction, financial abuse, mental health, custody, kidnapping, bad lawyers, rehab, being a good mom, and staying the course. If you...