Dating after an abusive relationship can be very difficult & triggering, especially in the early phases of recovery, which is why we recommend waiting a bit before seeking out new relationships. All we want is to trust & love again, but its frustrating (and scary) to discover that these qualities dont seem to come naturally anymore. This does not mean youre permanently jaded or scarred by the experience. It simply means your heart needs some time to process what happened—to form boundaries and find a healthy equilibrium between trust and self-respect. But immediately after an abuser erodes our self-esteem, its normal to feel worthless, frightened, and easily replaceable. These feelings lead to constant fear of abandonment and manipulation from others. Fortunately, with enough time & research, we start to trust our intuition about others and learn that healthy individuals do not seek to harm us. They do not replace loved ones on a whim. They do not talk about marriage one day and breaking up the next. These are textbook qualities of a pathological individual, and thanks to your own hard work, youll never waste another moment on them.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:52:34 +0000