Gaslight to Gold Series: “Was it really that bad?”

This one’s for you, the woman replaying memories like a courtroom in her mind, trying to prove her pain was real.

Maybe today you wondered, “Was it really that bad?”

That question is not your voice. It’s the echo of manipulation, gaslighting, still rattling around in your nervous system like it has squatters’ rights.

Here’s the truth: If your body still flinches, if your heart races when his name comes up, if you doubt your memory even though you lived it, then yes. It was that bad.

Narcissistic abuse doesn’t always leave bruises. Sometimes it leaves breadcrumbs of confusion... a thousand cuts to your self-trust.

You’re not crazy. You’re conditioned. And that’s reversible.

Here’s one tool: The Reality Journal. Write down what happened, not how you “should” feel. Use this prompt:

“Here’s what I saw. Here’s what I heard. Here’s what I felt.”

Let your body write the truth. Not your fear.

Healing begins when we stop editing our own story.

You don’t need their validation. You need your voice back.

And you’re doing it, right now. Keep going.