It didn’t feel brave, it felt terrifying.
Dear Survivor,
One client once described a moment that changed her life. She had spent years silencing herself to keep the peace, believing that pleasing others was the safest way to survive. Every time she wanted to say “No,” she swallowed it, afraid of what might come next.
Then, one day, she said it out loud.
It was not shouted. It was not even steady. But it was clear. “No.” Just that. She told me her hands were shaking and her chest was tight, but she said it anyway. And for the first time, she did not take it back. That moment was not about defiance, it was about remembering she had a choice.
That single word opened the door to everything she had been missing.
It was a rejection of control. A quiet but powerful act of reclaiming her right to exist on her own terms. She was not just refusing a demand, she was refusing the belief that love means losing yourself. Her “No” was not anger, it was truth. It was sacred.
That was only the beginning.
She still had to practice. She still had to unlearn the fear that speaking up would make her unlovable. But from that point on, her voice started to feel like her own. If you are somewhere in that process, you are not alone. The Recovery Roadmap was created for survivors who are rebuilding their strength one boundary at a time.
You are allowed to take up space.
Blessings and healing,
Catrina
#narcissisticabuse #domesticviolence #DV #IPV #abuser #toxicrelationships #abusivepartners #emotionalabuse #narcissist #survivorstories #healingjourney #traumarecovery #relationshipabuse #abusesurvivor #mentalhealth #healingafterabuse #coercivecontrol