Emotionally broken. Mentally drained. Anxiety riddled and devoid of hope. The trauma bond that ties you to your abuser seems unbreakable.
Stockholm syndrome, otherwise known as trauma bonding, is a powerful yet poisonous emotional symptom of a toxic relationship. We are treated horrifically by our partner, yet we find ourselves doing everything in our power to maintain the relationship. We are frequently lied to, manipulated, called names, and often physically abused. Still, a life without our abuser isn't something we can bear to imagine.
Do we know we're being treated abhorrently? Yes. Does it hurt like nothing else in the world? Yes. Do we actively try to cling to the relationship and make it work? Also, yes. These are symptoms of Stockholm syndrome.
But, it doesn't need to be this way. The bond can be broken.
I've endured the depths of an abusive relationship, and found myself chained to my abuser by the invisible - but incredibly tight - handcuffs of Stockholm syndrome. Despite many attempts at leaving only to return in the hope things would change, I couldn't seem to tear myself away from the very relationship that was eroding my self-esteem and my sanity. But, it can be done.
In this book, I'll use my own thirteen-year long story and the lessons I've learned along the way to guide you through breaking the trauma bond:
- I'll explain the cycle of abuse and how the abuser works to keep us repeating the cycle
- I'll cover the reasons we stay in a toxic relationship, other than just love and the deep emotional attachment we have
- I'll explain the PTSD symptoms we're prone to suffer as a result of the trauma of abuse
- I'll help you unlearn learned helplessness
- And, I'll discuss breaking the trauma bond and emotioanlydealing with the aftermath
Even if you think the bond is unbreakable, or you can't imagine willfully breaking the invisible chains, knowing more about the attachment to your abuser puts you in a better position to free yourself. This book, created through years of first-hand experience and subsequent research, is for those enduring manipulative, hurtful abuse at the hands of their partner. If you feel like you're stuck and you couldn't ever leave your abuser, this book is for you.