Relationship Status:
It’s complicated / I’m not sure
Length of Relationship:
1–3 years
Types of Emotional Abuse Experienced:
Love bombing, jealousy, criticism, gaslighting, social isolation
Her Story
At first, he made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. It was intense, exciting, almost like a movie.
But slowly, things shifted. He hated when I spent time with friends. Accused me of flirting if I wore certain clothes. And when I tried to talk about how I felt? He’d turn it around—make me feel dramatic or ungrateful.
I’m still in it. Or kind of. We’re “on a break.” But I keep thinking:
Why do I feel so small when I’m supposed to feel loved?
What Helped
Writing. And Instagram accounts that talk about emotional abuse.
I screenshot posts that feel like they’re speaking directly to me and I reread them when I start to doubt myself.
What She Wishes She’d Known
That “intensity” isn’t intimacy.
That real love doesn’t make you disappear.
And that if you’re always walking on eggshells, you’re not in a safe place.
To the Woman Still Struggling
You’re not crazy.
You’re not weak.
You’re in something that was designed to make you doubt your instincts.
The fact that you’re even questioning it means something in you is still alive—and that’s where your power is.
What Rising Looks Like
Right now, I’m rising by saying maybe this isn’t love.
I’m rising by listening to the voice in me that wants more—even if I’m scared of what comes next.
