Why Do Your Friends Believe the Person Who Abused You? [Episode 372]
March 24, 2026
What happens when seeing your ex derails all your progress? And why do your friends think he’s such a great guy when you know the truth?
What happens when seeing your ex derails all your progress? And why do your friends think he’s such a great guy when you know the truth?
In this episode we tackle three questions: What happens when the abuser is the one who leaves? How do you live with the fear of post-separation or post-divorce revenge? And what do you do when your friends just don’t get it?
This isn’t my typical podcast episode. Today I get personal, sharing why I’ve decided to pursue graduate studies in theology after experiencing profound spiritual abuse throughout my entire life. If you’ve read All the Scary Little Gods, you know my story, and you might be wondering why I’d ever step back into that world.
I invite you into my journey of healing, my commitment to simplicity in 2026, and the real reason I keep this podcast free.
In Episode 369 of the Flying Free Podcast, you’ll learn a term that’s more accurate than “narcissistic abuse,” and it’s actually being recognized in courts of law. This is part four of The Narcissism Trap Series, and it shifts everything from trying to diagnose your partner to recognizing what’s really happening to you.
If you’ve been stuck wondering whether he meets the clinical criteria for narcissism or whether therapy could change him, this episode will free you from that trap. Natalie breaks down coercive control—what sociologist Evan Stark calls a “liberty crime”—and why understanding this pattern matters more than any personality disorder diagnosis ever could.
In this third episode of The Narcissism Trap series, we shift from personal validation to legal strategy, exploring why the very word that brought you clarity could be the thing that sinks your court case. We’ll look at how judges actually view labels like “narcissist” and why focusing on clinical diagnoses can unintentionally dilute accountability and hand a “gift” to your ex’s legal team.
In this second episode of The Narcissism Trap series, we open up the DSM-5 and walk through the actual clinical criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder but with a crucial twist.