Series 2: The Aftermath
Emotional Permission After Psychological Abuse
Learn how anger and grief shape recovery after narcissistic abuse. Transform pain into clarity, acceptance, and the freedom to feel without fear or guilt.
2: Why You’re Angry
"It wasn’t about the wishes. It was about dignity."
You’re angry because they lied. Because they gaslit you. Because you stayed quiet to stay safe. Because they used your queerness against you.
Anger is not a sign you’ve failed at healing. It’s a sign that your self-worth is waking up.
3: Queer Grief
"Mourning the self they made you abandon."
Grief isn’t just about what happened. It’s about the time you lost. The version of you that dimmed your light. The chances to feel safe that never came.
Grief says:
- I should have been protected.
- I shouldn’t have had to perform.
- I deserved tenderness.
This is where we start to say goodbye — not just to them, but to the illusions we clung to.
“Grief is a rebellion. It’s proof you were never meant to live that small.”
4: Why We Suppress It
"They said your feelings were too loud — so you silenced them."
From a young age, many queer people are taught to:
- Keep the peace
- Be easy to love
- Hide the big feelings
But unexpressed emotion doesn’t disappear. It just turns inward. Anxiety. Depression. Numbness.
You’re not too much. You’re too contained.
What were you told about anger or grief growing up? How did that shape the way you process pain now?
5: Exercise — The Rage & Release Letter
"What you never got to say."
Instructions:
Write a letter to your abuser (you won’t send it). Let yourself:
- Scream on the page
- Blame without censoring
- Feel everything you shoved down
Then: burn it, bury it, shred it — or keep it in a sacred place. This isn’t for them. It’s for you.