Fear doesn’t vanish in a blaze of glory—it cracks in a quiet moment of truth. We call that moment the reckoning: the shift from “maybe it’s me” to “this is abuse.” In this second part of our recovery series on domestic abuse and coercive control, we unpack how naming behavior restores power, why escalation can follow clarity, and how to protect yourself while you break the spell of gaslighting.
We get practical about language and boundaries. Kim shares how calling out manipulation in the room (“We don’t do that here”) models respect and signals to the survivor that her perception is real. You’ll learn the “emotional riot shield” technique to see the game without being cut by it, and how simple giving-back statements—“I’m not discussing that” and “What are you trying to accomplish?”—refuse the bait that keeps cycles alive. We also dig into a crucial pivot: stop asking how to fix him and start asking how to protect yourself.
Expect a tour through the drama triangle and how abusers flip into a false victim role to hook you into rescue mode. We show you how to step out of the script, forecast consequences instead of re-arguing reality, and move toward objective supports—legal advice, advocacy services, and informed networks that understand coercive control. If your strength surges one hour and wobbles the next, you’re not failing; your nervous system is unwinding from control, and that takes repetition and care.
If this resonates, follow the series, share this episode with someone who needs language for what they’re living, and leave a review so more people can find these tools. Your clarity can be the first brick in a safer life—subscribe, listen, and tell us which boundary you’re practicing this week.
