Unlocking Personal Growth: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Change

Relationship Truth: Unfiltered

Recognizing the Signs of Abuse

• Carrie reflects on her experience of being in abusive relationships, particularly with her third husband, who exhibited gaslighting and narcissistic behaviors.
• She discusses the covert nature of her second husband's abuse and how he could present himself as kind and harmless to others.

Seeking Safety and Coping Mechanisms

• Carrie opens up about her motivation to stay in her second marriage despite recognizing the abuse. She attributes this decision to her desire to provide financial stability for her son.
• She discusses how her husband would use extravagant gestures to keep her son connected and happy.

Treated Like a Child

• Carrie talks about how her second husband treated her like a child, limiting her authority and decision-making power.
• She shares her frustration about her husband undermining her disciplinary actions with her children when he returned from business trips.

Misdiagnosis and Spiritual Journey

• Carrie reveals that she had been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on medication for seven years.
• She shares how she turned to her faith and embarked on a spiritual journey, finding solace and guidance through scripture and prayer.

Discovering Leslie Vernick and Emotional Healing

• Carrie discusses how she stumbled upon Leslie Vernick's teachings and how they resonated with her.
• She describes the impact of reading "The Emotionally Destructive Marriage" and attending Leslie's workshops on her healing journey.

Escaping the Trap and Finding Strength

• Carrie vividly expresses the emotional toll of her toxic marriage, comparing it to feeling trapped and needing to chew off her own leg to escape.
• She shares how her life has changed since leaving her second husband and how she is rebuilding her life.

Learning to Ask for What She Wants

• Carrie talks about the importance of learning to ask for what she wants and how it has improved her relationships.
• She mentions that people now have more respect for her since she has become more assertive and self-assured.

Words of Encouragement

• Carrie offers words of encouragement to listeners who may be going through similar struggles, emphasizing that there is hope and they are not alone.
• She advises seeking support, doing the necessary work, and being willing to open up the past for healing.

Conclusion:

• Carrie's story serves as a testament to the power of self-discovery, faith, and healing after facing multiple divorces and challenging life experiences.

Resources Mentioned:

• Register for Leslie's free workshop on December 5, 2023: www.leslievernick.com/story
• Learn more about Leslie's other programs, Walking in Core Strength program, Moving Beyond People Pleasing, and Empowered to Change at www.leslievernick.com .
• : www.leslievernick.com