Healing from Toxic Relationships
10 Essential Steps to Recover from Gaslighting, Narcissism, and Emotional Abuse
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
From the psychologist and author of Gaslighting comes a practical recovery plan outlining ten foundational steps to true healing.
Surviving and escaping a toxic or abusive relationship can often only be part of the struggle. Long after, survivors often struggle to heal; your self‑esteem may be damaged, you may feel rage and betrayal, and you may punish and/or blame yourself. The author of Gaslighting and specialist in toxic behavior, narcissistic abuse, and personality disorders, Dr. Stephanie Sarkis has seen it all--and she is here to help you understand how to move forward. In Healing from Toxic Relationships, Dr. Sarkis extends compassion and knowledge to survivors, helping you understand the underpinnings of toxic behavior and how to find peace.
Highlighting ten essential steps, Dr. Sarkis provides survivors with an accessible framework that can be applied to anyone preparing to heal:
1. Block or Limit Contact
2. Create Your Own Closure
3. Forgive Yourself
4. Establish Boundaries
5. Talk to a Professional
6. Practice Self‑Care
7. Reconnect
8. Grieve
9. Look Outward
10. Prevent: Keeping Toxic People Away
Anyone who is in a toxic relationship—whether it's with a romantic partner, colleague, family member, or friend—deserves a way out and a path forward. Dr. Sarkis offers help and hope.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This compassionate manual by psychotherapist Sarkis (Gaslighting) tackles toxic behavior and shares sensible strategies for grappling with it. The author lays out a 10-step plan for dealing with toxic relationships, romantic or otherwise, and details how to avoid unwanted contact, stop blaming oneself, and find resolution. The first step is to "identify toxic people," and to that end Sarkis lists red flag behaviors ("pathological lying," "refusal to respect boundaries") and outlines the "three stages of a toxic relationship," during which abusers "idealize, devalue, and discard" others. Emphasizing the importance of finding a mental health care provider (step six), Sarkis details the most common kinds of therapy approaches (cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavior, solution-focused, and acceptance and commitment) and reminds readers that "you get out of therapy what you put into it." Journal prompts stimulate reflection on the personal impact of abuse; for example, the author encourages readers to write about the origins of their self-criticism and find a positive way to reframe those thoughts. Readers will appreciate the practicality of the guide, which distills its insights into easily digestible enumerated lists (e.g., the five types of boundaries, the six strategies for addressing insecure attachment styles) and detailed "check-ins" that help with self-assessment of such questions as "Do you have anger control issues?" and "Is your relationship codependent?" The result is a thorough program for healing from abuse.
