Episode 03: Not a Normal Relationship

Image by Adrien Converse

Inside the long-term pathological abuse cycle of idealise/devalue/discard, there is the inner covert cycle of relational abuse. Couples argue. And some of the elements of discord below occur in minor ways in normal relationships. “I never said that”, is pretty common. “That whole period of a year where you worked for my business for nothing is all in your head”, or “that tree trunk I put in the backyard while you were out has always been there”, is gas-lighting. That’s pathological.

Narcissistic Abuse is more of a matrix than a cycle, but let’s pull apart the behaviours into a repeating cycle anyway…….