If there’s one thing that most cases of narcissistic abuse have in common, it’s that the narcissist has an incredible ability to blindside their victims. Nearly every story starts out with someone meeting a wonderful, charming person until suddenly their dark side comes out.  Sometimes the abuse can be so subtle that the victim doesn’t notice it’s happening until it’s broken them down. The gaslighting can be so intense that even the strongest person can wonder if they’re the crazy one and if it’s all their fault.   Narcissism is so, so sinister.   This was what happened to Melanie Tonia Evans after she married what seemed like a wonderful man, before she even knew what a narcissist was. His abuse eventually pushed her into a breakdown that became a moment of healing, as it revealed to her the unhealed places in herself. Today, she has developed her own energy healing method to heal trauma at the soul level – beyond the conscious mind – and help others recover from narcissistic abuse.   In the episode, Melanie talks about the keys to recognizing and healing from narcissistic abuse, how her experience with narcissism led her to healing her own self-worth and inner child and how she eventually learned to love who she really was and become whole. Listen to discover: The dynamics of a narcissistic relationship  How Melanie discovered the unhealed places in herself that attracted her to a narcissistic partner Why it's so hard to leave a narcissist How to heal from narcissistic abuse in your inner world Next steps when leaving a relationship with a narcissist The difference between a survivor and thriver The #1 mistake people make when trying to recover from narcissistic abuse I’m so thankful that narcissism is more widely talked about. While the narcissist is cunning, with the tools to recognize narcissism and become our emotionally healthy true selves, I hope more and more of us can see through the narcissist's careful image and stop being blindsided by abuse. "What really scared me the most was how I started tolerating behaviors I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be tolerating." - Melanie Tonia Evans   "One of the biggest realizations I had in that epiphany moment was that he was treating me identically to how I'd been treating myself." - Melanie Tonia Evans   "I had plenty of understanding from the chin up, but I wasn't standing in who I was." - Melanie Tonia Evans   "When the person leaves, the narcissist does go after the person that leaves, and it's not pretty."  - Michelle Chalfant   "There's got to be a sense of the inner strength and empowerment in order to leave." - Michelle Chalfant   "The narcissist is a black and white individual." - Melanie Tonia Evans   "You're either serving the false self, where you're amazing. And if you want to get away or you're not, well then you are absolute trash." - Melanie Tonia Evans   "The victim often looks like the perpetrator." - Melanie Tonia Evans   "We actually thrive, not despite what happened to us, but literally because of what happened for us." - Melanie Tonia Evans   LINKS & RESOURCES    Melanie Tonia Evans Website https://www.melanietoniaevans.com/     Melanie Tonia Evans Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Program https://courses.melanietoniaevans.com/p/narp     Melanie Tonia Evans Masterclass https://www.recoverhealthrive.com/    The Adult Chair Workshop Nashville: November 3-5, 2022 https://theadultchair.com/nashville     MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com  The Adult Chair® Membership https://theadultchair.com/membership/  The Adult Chair® Events https://theadultchair.com/events/  The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification  https://theadultchair.com/certification    STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant