Latest / The Messy Middle Podcast
25 | Dating as a Practice Ground for Self-Trust
Dating after narcissistic abuse or coercive control can feel less like excitement… and more like a full-blown survival exam.
In this episode, I’m talking about why dating after abuse often becomes loaded with pressure, hypervigilance, self-criticism, and endless overthinking.
The “Am I gonna miss the red flags again?” spiral. The scanning. The second-guessing. The feeling that every interaction somehow determines whether you’ll end up hurt all over again.
But what if dating wasn’t actually about finding “the one” right now?
What if it became a practice ground for rebuilding self-trust…
The skinny
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