Nobody Understands: The Challenge of Recovering from Maternal Emotional Abuse

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I feel alone = one of the biggest phrases I hear from clients seeking help with maternal emotional abuse recovery.

When you grow up with someone who…

treats you like an extension of who they are, rather than who you are
discounts or invalidates your feelings and experiences
criticizes and belittles you
turns other people against you
is unpredictable
cannot take responsibility for their own actions

…It leaves a mark.

You learn you cannot trust the person charged with caring for you. You learn you cannot trust yourself as your idea of reality is constantly being challenged. Ultimately, you learn not to trust anyone.

You also learn that people on the outside do not see what’s truly happening. An emotional abuser is very good at hiding what’s really going on and getting you to keep secrets.

This can lead to people feeling isolated and alone, wondering if anyone truly understands what they are going through.

Recovering from this type of emotional abuse is a process that involves discovering who you truly are, without the abuser. And it can be tempting to think you have to do it on your own.

Recovery from maternal narcissistic abuse is a journey of learning to trust yourself. It is also a journey that you do not have to take alone.

While working with a therapist can be life-changing as you process through all the ups and downs of recovery, there can also be a great benefit in participating in group therapy. Having other people who understand the depths of emotional abuse in similar ways can add another dimension to healing that cannot fully be realized in just individual therapy.

If you’re a woman in Arizona curious about group therapy for maternal narcissistic abuse recovery, I invite you to book a free consult to discuss how it might benefit you.