The picture of Mel Gibson strapped to a torture table screaming out his last words comes to mind: "FREEEEEEEE-DOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!"
But to tell you the truth, I think that's what it's all about. That's the answer.
Living with emotional and verbal abuse can often feel like a prison, but it's one you don't even realize that you're in until you've been there for years.
You of course wouldn't marry someone so they could abuse you. "I promise to degrade, abuse and belittle you, till death do us part." You marry them because you love them, and you believe that they love you. But then, one by one, the micro little comments start, so stealthy and back-handed, you don't even realize it. But, you start to believe them. While you know that you are a strong, beautiful, independent woman, you also start to believe that you are fat, ugly, weak and stupid. Been there. Even after he leaves and you realize how much he's been mistreating you, it can often times still take years to recover from that abuse. It can take a long time to unlearn the lies.
But, Freedom! I found freedom when I realized that the abuse and the negativity were all rooted in lies. I wasn't fat. I was beautiful. I wasn't stupid. I was brilliant. I wasn't weak. I was STRONG! It helped me to realize that his wheelhouse was his ability to lie, with those big, brown, puppy dog eyes, and that soft, tender voice that sounded oh so sincere. Like a cyanide pill in a yummy chocolate candy shell. When I finally realized that his persuasion was only in his ability to tell a convincing lie, the lies lost all their power. I was able to take whatever he said and flip it around and find the truth, basically, in the opposite of whatever he said. Recognize the source. It made it so much easier to deal with. Like in John 8:44, when Jesus says that Satan is the "father of all lies, and when he lies, he speaks his native language." I finally was able to just realize that all the nasty, mean things that he said about me were just lies. Now, it's automatic, whenever he says anything, I just assume that the opposite of that is true, or that what he's trying to say about me is really something true about himself, which is called projecting.
I pray for freedom for you, Dear One. Freedom from the lies. I pray that you would know the truth, and that the truth will set you free. Don't believe your abuser's lies. You are beautiful, strong, precious, loved, intelligent, lovable, and worthy of genuine love and affection, and you deserve to be treated with diginity, respect and kindness, and to live in freedom and joy.
Hugs!!!
MWP
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Happy Hunger Games!!
"May the odds be ever in your favor."
So, Hunger Games came out today. Yeah, I'm a fan. I'm totally Team Peeta, lol.
I know that most of the time divorcing a narcissist, or even living through any situation that involves emotional and verbal abuse can feel like you're living in your own personal Hunger Games: a brutal, bloody, and rigged, fight for survival. It's unfair, and the ruling powers that be seem to have a tendency to stack the deck so that the odds are ever in the favor of the one person who is trying to conquer you. It's like your ex is a Career, right? He's trained his whole life in the ever-so-deadly arts of manipulation and deceit, and he is ruthlessly cunning and does whatever he has to to win at all costs.
As odd as it may sound, there's something in particular that I read in these books that I have actually found myself doing in dealing with my narcissistic ex when he plays his psychotic mind games with me. I know you understand the feeling of wondering if you're actually the crazy person when you're facing the gaslighting and the anti-logic. I've had those moments when I think, "Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm the one who's being difficult and uncooperative." That's when I started what I call the "Katniss Maneuver."
Remember how mental Katniss got after everything had happened?? (In Mockingjay.) She had so much trauma happen to her that she lost touch with reality. There was a trick that her psychotherapist taught her to help her keep her grasp on what was real and what wasn't. She would start with the most basic fact that she knew to be true, and build from there, one fact at the time. "My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I was in the Hunger Games. The Capitol wants to kill me." And then she would be able to work from there to distinguish what was true and wasn't.
I can completely relate to this. In those times when I would feel so very confused after one of those conversations with my ex, I would mentally walk myself through the facts until I once again found my footing and retrieved my grasp on the truth and my solid reality. "My name is (name changed to protect the innocent) Katniss Everdeen. I am ## years old. My ex-husband cheated on me several times. He left me. He verbally abused me. He ignored my children, and now he is angry about child support and we're fighting over custody. I am not crazy. I am not the vindictive, difficult, angry person he says I am." It's been a helpful way to remind myself of the truth in the times when I almost succumbed to the lies.
When you educate yourself about the tactics that the abusers use, it's much easier to defend against them. Just like any other military strategy. Know thy enemy. When you know how their weapons work, you can protect yourself and fight against them properly.
Hang in there, dear one. Remind yourself of the truth. One step at the time. Don't give up. The only power that a lie has is when it succeeds in keeping the truth silenced. Be strong, and MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.
So, Hunger Games came out today. Yeah, I'm a fan. I'm totally Team Peeta, lol.
I know that most of the time divorcing a narcissist, or even living through any situation that involves emotional and verbal abuse can feel like you're living in your own personal Hunger Games: a brutal, bloody, and rigged, fight for survival. It's unfair, and the ruling powers that be seem to have a tendency to stack the deck so that the odds are ever in the favor of the one person who is trying to conquer you. It's like your ex is a Career, right? He's trained his whole life in the ever-so-deadly arts of manipulation and deceit, and he is ruthlessly cunning and does whatever he has to to win at all costs.
As odd as it may sound, there's something in particular that I read in these books that I have actually found myself doing in dealing with my narcissistic ex when he plays his psychotic mind games with me. I know you understand the feeling of wondering if you're actually the crazy person when you're facing the gaslighting and the anti-logic. I've had those moments when I think, "Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm the one who's being difficult and uncooperative." That's when I started what I call the "Katniss Maneuver."
Remember how mental Katniss got after everything had happened?? (In Mockingjay.) She had so much trauma happen to her that she lost touch with reality. There was a trick that her psychotherapist taught her to help her keep her grasp on what was real and what wasn't. She would start with the most basic fact that she knew to be true, and build from there, one fact at the time. "My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I was in the Hunger Games. The Capitol wants to kill me." And then she would be able to work from there to distinguish what was true and wasn't.
I can completely relate to this. In those times when I would feel so very confused after one of those conversations with my ex, I would mentally walk myself through the facts until I once again found my footing and retrieved my grasp on the truth and my solid reality. "My name is (name changed to protect the innocent) Katniss Everdeen. I am ## years old. My ex-husband cheated on me several times. He left me. He verbally abused me. He ignored my children, and now he is angry about child support and we're fighting over custody. I am not crazy. I am not the vindictive, difficult, angry person he says I am." It's been a helpful way to remind myself of the truth in the times when I almost succumbed to the lies.
When you educate yourself about the tactics that the abusers use, it's much easier to defend against them. Just like any other military strategy. Know thy enemy. When you know how their weapons work, you can protect yourself and fight against them properly.
Hang in there, dear one. Remind yourself of the truth. One step at the time. Don't give up. The only power that a lie has is when it succeeds in keeping the truth silenced. Be strong, and MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Just sending out some love....
Today's post is going to be short, but I just wanted to show some love and tell all you "me's" out there to hang in there. You're doing a good job taking care of your babies, and they are very blessed to have you for their mom! :D Don't get discouraged! Keep on fighting and stay strong! You're not alone!
Love & Hugs,
MWP <3
Love & Hugs,
MWP <3
Monday, August 13, 2012
So I've done quite a bit of reading lately on issues dealing with dealing with narcissism and especially the emotional and verbal abuse that goes with it. Having lived with it for several years myself, it is very comforting and refreshing to finally understand that I am not the only person in the world who has been subject to that kind of abuse. For the longest time I just thought that it was personal issues that my ex had, stemming from his low self-esteem, depression, PTSD, whatever excuse I could think of to try to justify what made him behave the way that he did. Looking back now, and based on what I've learned since he left and I was free from living with it every day, I can see very easily where my frustration was coming from. I, as a well-adjusted and rationally thinking person, was trying to rationalize the actions of a crazy man. Yeah, that's right. I just called him crazy. I have learned that the worst mistake that you can make in dealing with a narcissist is to treat them like a rational person. Most people who have been brought with an sense of common courtesy, manners, and respect for one's fellow man, have basically been taught to live by "the Golden Rule," which Jesus taught us. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) Even though that is a principle that originated from Scripture, it is essentially the foundation for all social protocol among the majority of the world today (at least in what we would consider "civilized" society). Kindergartners are taught on the playground not to hit, shove, push, fight, name-call, tease, bully, cut in line, anything, because why?? That's right! "Would you want him to do that to you?" Only, in the narcissist's world, or any abuser's world, for that matter, that rule is totally alien. To them, people are meat. Expendable. Objects. Disposable. Currency to be used, wasted, thrown away in order to get whatever type of satisfaction it is that they ultimately seek. In the case of the narcissist, psychologists refer to this as "narcissistic supply," which is basically the narcissist's high that they get off of anything that, in their mind, validates their superiority over their fellow man. My ex used to get the most enjoyment out of reminding me that his northern home state ranked higher on the United Stated education scale than my southern home state (it actually doesn't, lol). He bragged to me all the time of the merits of his fancy, northern high-school education versus my down-home, second rate, southern Christian education. He had FFA and he dissected a frog and went to prom and I didn't. Never mind that I reminded him every single time that I kept an A average all through not only high school but college as well (while he never even attended college, and when he DID start online classes at the end of our marriage, guess who got him through his assignments? Yep me. Second rate education my sweet patooty.) Nevertheless, in his mind, he had to continually remind me of his great superiority over me and do his absolute best to make me feel like white-trash. (Let me just say here, THANK GOD for my family and friends and my amazing church family who supported me and never let me fall under his would-be Jedi mind tricks.) Yes, I lived with it for years without realizing that I was an abused woman, but once that realization came about (that's a story for another day), but now I can see it so clearly. Every time another memory of another conversation pops up in my mind that I was once bewildered at, wondering how on earth he couldn't have understood such common sense as I was telling him, now I can look back and understand why.
It's because of this experience that I have a passion in me to help the six-years-ago-me's to see now where they are and what they are living through and to be able to understand that there is no changing him, there's no "hoping my marriage gets better." There's only succumb to the abuse and live with it or stand up, put your foot down, and put a stop to it. Yes, I believe that most of the time that might mean the end of a marriage, but I know that there are those few miraculous other instances where he does change and seek help. I know that not all emotionally abusive men are narcissists. Some are just products of a bad upbringing and need to be taught a better way. Some of them, well, some there's just no helping them. And let me add this as well, I am 100% in support of fixing a broken marriage as opposed to divorce, and I am one million percent against casual divorce or "irreconcilable differences." I do not believe it's ever okay to divorce because the spark is gone, we've both changed, we're different people now than when we were married, or neither/one of us just aren't/isn't happy anymore. Put on your big girl pants, grow up, suck it up and work it out. Anyone who's been married for longer than a month would tell you that that was coming, and you have to make the conscious choice together to make it better again. But this isn't marriage counseling, lol. However I DO NOT EVER THINK A WOMAN, OR MAN, SHOULD STAY IN AN ABUSIVE MARRIAGE, AND CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO ENDURE THE ABUSE EITHER. Get out. If he gets help, great. If not, God never intended for you to live your life as someone's punching bag, physically or verbally, and when the two of you stand before Him and have to answer for how you respected the vows that you made to Him on your wedding day, the abuser will be the one who has to answer for it. Based on everything that the Bible says about God's character, I do not believe for one second that He would look at a woman who walked away from an abusive marriage and say, "I thought you swore to Me for better or for worse?" I think He instead He's up in heaven right now saying, "You both made your vows, but he is hurting you on a daily basis and enjoying it. Get out and let Me give you something that will fulfill you and not destroy you." Satan abuses us, not God. A wise man once said, "This is a mean, ol', ugly world," and it's true. This ain't heaven, mister. God's perfect plan is for a man to leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife and they become one. That doesn't always happen, though, and God knows it. Be free, dear one.
I can only speak for myself, but if a man ever put his hands on me in violence, assuming he had a hand left afterwards, I would be completely finished with him. I will not put up with it at all. Precious, verbal abuse is no less painful than physical abuse. It's just more insidious because it doesn't leave bruises. In my mind, it's worse, honestly.
If you suspect that you might be in the midst of an emotionally abusive relationship, or you know someone who might, I found a really great article on how to know if you are or not.
http://thestir.cafemom.com/love_sex/138933/15_signs_youre_in_an
I'll also post the contents of that article here:
Emotional abuse, while it leaves no marks, can sometimes be the hardest type of abuse to understand in a relationship. It's hard to imagine that someone who "loves you" could abuse you -- and besides, it's just words, right? It's not like you're being BEATEN.
Sad truth is, while broken bones heal, the wounds left from emotional abuse can last a lifetime.
Emotional abuse is a form of abuse in which a partner uses verbal assault, fear, or humiliation to undermine the other person's self-esteem and self-worth. Emotional abuse is every bit as damaging as physical abuse.
Here are some signs you're in an emotionally abusive relationship:
1) You're afraid to tell your partner about a normal happening - your car needs brakes, your boss made you work overtime - because you're not sure how he will react.
2) When you do talk to your significant other, he puts you down and makes you feel stupid.
3) You make yourself available to your partner no matter what the personal cost - just to avoid a confrontation.
4) You no longer want to bring your significant other around your friends or family because you're afraid he will berate you and humiliate you in front of your loved ones.
More from The Stir: Michelle Williams Gives Love Advice Every Woman Should Hear
5) You've begun to believe that you're the crazy one -- that you're the one with the problem.
6) When talking about an accomplishment - a promotion or something equally exciting - your partner sneers at you, putting you down, mocking your achievement rather than celebrating it.
7) You feel helpless, like you're trapped in the relationship.
8) Your partner treats you like an object, like property, not like a person with real feelings.
9) Your partner keeps a tight control on all things: money, the phone, using the car, who you see and what you do.
10) If you fight back, your significant other blames you for the abusive behavior. "If you weren't so dumb, I wouldn't have to yell at you."
11) You've begun to see yourself as worthless -- just like your partner tells you you are.
12) You'll go out of your way to please your significant other, no matter how much you have to sacrifice. If that means staying up all night to wash the floor, so be it. It beats the "lecture."
13) You're in complete isolation. Your partner doesn't want you around your friends or family and has convinced you that THEY are the ones who are abusive to you - not him.
14) You've begun to feel as though you deserve to be treated badly. If you were a better person, you wouldn't make him so mad!
15) You find yourself having to rush to his defense whenever he is brought up in conversation. You make excuses for his behavior regardless of the situation.
If you're in an emotionally abusive relationship or even if you think you're being abused but it's "not bad enough" to do anything about it, remember: it is. No one deserves to be treated this way, and everyone is worthy of respect. Even you.
It's because of this experience that I have a passion in me to help the six-years-ago-me's to see now where they are and what they are living through and to be able to understand that there is no changing him, there's no "hoping my marriage gets better." There's only succumb to the abuse and live with it or stand up, put your foot down, and put a stop to it. Yes, I believe that most of the time that might mean the end of a marriage, but I know that there are those few miraculous other instances where he does change and seek help. I know that not all emotionally abusive men are narcissists. Some are just products of a bad upbringing and need to be taught a better way. Some of them, well, some there's just no helping them. And let me add this as well, I am 100% in support of fixing a broken marriage as opposed to divorce, and I am one million percent against casual divorce or "irreconcilable differences." I do not believe it's ever okay to divorce because the spark is gone, we've both changed, we're different people now than when we were married, or neither/one of us just aren't/isn't happy anymore. Put on your big girl pants, grow up, suck it up and work it out. Anyone who's been married for longer than a month would tell you that that was coming, and you have to make the conscious choice together to make it better again. But this isn't marriage counseling, lol. However I DO NOT EVER THINK A WOMAN, OR MAN, SHOULD STAY IN AN ABUSIVE MARRIAGE, AND CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO ENDURE THE ABUSE EITHER. Get out. If he gets help, great. If not, God never intended for you to live your life as someone's punching bag, physically or verbally, and when the two of you stand before Him and have to answer for how you respected the vows that you made to Him on your wedding day, the abuser will be the one who has to answer for it. Based on everything that the Bible says about God's character, I do not believe for one second that He would look at a woman who walked away from an abusive marriage and say, "I thought you swore to Me for better or for worse?" I think He instead He's up in heaven right now saying, "You both made your vows, but he is hurting you on a daily basis and enjoying it. Get out and let Me give you something that will fulfill you and not destroy you." Satan abuses us, not God. A wise man once said, "This is a mean, ol', ugly world," and it's true. This ain't heaven, mister. God's perfect plan is for a man to leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife and they become one. That doesn't always happen, though, and God knows it. Be free, dear one.
I can only speak for myself, but if a man ever put his hands on me in violence, assuming he had a hand left afterwards, I would be completely finished with him. I will not put up with it at all. Precious, verbal abuse is no less painful than physical abuse. It's just more insidious because it doesn't leave bruises. In my mind, it's worse, honestly.
If you suspect that you might be in the midst of an emotionally abusive relationship, or you know someone who might, I found a really great article on how to know if you are or not.
http://thestir.cafemom.com/love_sex/138933/15_signs_youre_in_an
I'll also post the contents of that article here:
Emotional abuse, while it leaves no marks, can sometimes be the hardest type of abuse to understand in a relationship. It's hard to imagine that someone who "loves you" could abuse you -- and besides, it's just words, right? It's not like you're being BEATEN.
Sad truth is, while broken bones heal, the wounds left from emotional abuse can last a lifetime.
Emotional abuse is a form of abuse in which a partner uses verbal assault, fear, or humiliation to undermine the other person's self-esteem and self-worth. Emotional abuse is every bit as damaging as physical abuse.
Here are some signs you're in an emotionally abusive relationship:
1) You're afraid to tell your partner about a normal happening - your car needs brakes, your boss made you work overtime - because you're not sure how he will react.
2) When you do talk to your significant other, he puts you down and makes you feel stupid.
3) You make yourself available to your partner no matter what the personal cost - just to avoid a confrontation.
4) You no longer want to bring your significant other around your friends or family because you're afraid he will berate you and humiliate you in front of your loved ones.
More from The Stir: Michelle Williams Gives Love Advice Every Woman Should Hear
5) You've begun to believe that you're the crazy one -- that you're the one with the problem.
6) When talking about an accomplishment - a promotion or something equally exciting - your partner sneers at you, putting you down, mocking your achievement rather than celebrating it.
7) You feel helpless, like you're trapped in the relationship.
8) Your partner treats you like an object, like property, not like a person with real feelings.
9) Your partner keeps a tight control on all things: money, the phone, using the car, who you see and what you do.
10) If you fight back, your significant other blames you for the abusive behavior. "If you weren't so dumb, I wouldn't have to yell at you."
11) You've begun to see yourself as worthless -- just like your partner tells you you are.
12) You'll go out of your way to please your significant other, no matter how much you have to sacrifice. If that means staying up all night to wash the floor, so be it. It beats the "lecture."
13) You're in complete isolation. Your partner doesn't want you around your friends or family and has convinced you that THEY are the ones who are abusive to you - not him.
14) You've begun to feel as though you deserve to be treated badly. If you were a better person, you wouldn't make him so mad!
15) You find yourself having to rush to his defense whenever he is brought up in conversation. You make excuses for his behavior regardless of the situation.
If you're in an emotionally abusive relationship or even if you think you're being abused but it's "not bad enough" to do anything about it, remember: it is. No one deserves to be treated this way, and everyone is worthy of respect. Even you.
One thing I've learned: if you suspect that you might be in an emotionally abusive relationship, the best thing to do is to seek help. Consult a professional counselor. Or if you can't afford to pay for help, you can call your local domestic abuse hotline, women's shelter, or even a rape crisis center. Emotional abuse may have the same public attention as physical abuse, but that does not mean that you have less of a right to help than anyone else. These places are well-equipped with counselors who can help you. (Your pastor at church is also an excellent source of support and counsel, too.) Call. You deserve help. You deserve to be respected and loved and protected. You are precious.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Hello, World!!!
Okay, so here we go. My first blog. Let me introduce myself.... I'm you. I'm you if you're a loving, hard-working single mom, struggling through what legal professionals refer to as a "high-conflict" divorce. Are you frustrated with the family court system and the constant, energy-draining, often-times hopeless feeling fight over custody, child support, visitation, and the well-being of your precious children? If you answered yes, then I am in fact you.
I am here to tell you, "Guess what? You're not alone!" It's true! I know it feels like you are. "How on earth could I have married the one craziest man on earth?" "No one else I know seems to be going through this." "Why do everyone else's husbands seem normal and mine is so messed up in the head?" "Yay for me. I drew the short straw."
Believe it or not, you're actually one of millions. That's right, I said millions! I did the math. Let me 'splain.
My personal situation: The man I am divorcing is the poster child for Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I mean, look it up in the dictionary and there's his picture. After several years of a marriage that involved cheating, lying, verbal and emotional abuse, failed counseling, separation, I got caught in the whirlpool of a family legal system that has fallen prey to the manipulation tactics of millions of narcissistic abusers like my ex. I lost the custody fight and with it the child support fight. (I filed for court ordered child support, he got mad, hired a lawyer, and away we go....) I has nothing to do with the money for me. It's about providing a safe, good life for my children. For him, it's about control. (It always is, right?)
That's when I started my research. I know I've only scraped the tip of the iceberg so far, but let me tell you what I've learned so far: the statistics.
The Amercian Psychological Association estimates that 1% of the US population (over 300 million people) are diagnosed narcissists. One statistic I read said 6%. Considering the difficulty in diagnosing NPD (they rarely seek help on their own because they think they're always right), I'm sure that the 6% is more accurate. Let's round it to 5%, just for the math's sake. So, 5% of 300 million is 15 million. Now, let's be generous. The US divorce rate is about 50%. Now I'm sure that more than 50% of marriages involving narcissists end in divorce (there are so many other factors out there), but just for now, we'll factor in the average divorce rate to that 15 million so now we have 7.5 million. Now, here's one more factor for you. Every stastic I've read estimates that of diagnosed NPD's, 75% are men. (Men, I'm not picking on you. It's just the facts.) So, now we have 5.625 million. Let's round that up to an even number: 6 million. Precious, you are NOT ALONE. You are one of an estimated six million mom's in this country who are in this battle. Just doing the basic math, for me, that makes me on of probably about 1200 moms IN MY COUNTY ALONE in my situation. What I wouldn't give for a meeting with those 12oo amazing women. Wow. Staggering.
I've wrestled with this issue for a long time now. Years now. Today I decided to start this blog. I want to share information, experience and encouragement. If you're me, please stay tuned. Let me hear from you, too. I'm you, and you're me, so let's help each other along through this. :)
Just another thing, my main source of encouragement, alongside my family and friends is the Bible. That's right. I love Jesus. I will not be shy about talking about Him on here or posting things that I read from the Bible. That being said, please don't shy away from here if you're not a Christian. If you believe something different than me, I completely respect your right to believe that. I won't argue with you, and I won't berate you. I do believe what I believe , so please don't try to convert me or convince me that I'm wrong. I will pray for you, for Blessings to overtake you, and I will give my absolute best to encourage you. :) Thanks for reading!!
Love and Hugs!!!!
MWP
(Mom, Warrior Princess)
I am here to tell you, "Guess what? You're not alone!" It's true! I know it feels like you are. "How on earth could I have married the one craziest man on earth?" "No one else I know seems to be going through this." "Why do everyone else's husbands seem normal and mine is so messed up in the head?" "Yay for me. I drew the short straw."
Believe it or not, you're actually one of millions. That's right, I said millions! I did the math. Let me 'splain.
My personal situation: The man I am divorcing is the poster child for Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I mean, look it up in the dictionary and there's his picture. After several years of a marriage that involved cheating, lying, verbal and emotional abuse, failed counseling, separation, I got caught in the whirlpool of a family legal system that has fallen prey to the manipulation tactics of millions of narcissistic abusers like my ex. I lost the custody fight and with it the child support fight. (I filed for court ordered child support, he got mad, hired a lawyer, and away we go....) I has nothing to do with the money for me. It's about providing a safe, good life for my children. For him, it's about control. (It always is, right?)
That's when I started my research. I know I've only scraped the tip of the iceberg so far, but let me tell you what I've learned so far: the statistics.
The Amercian Psychological Association estimates that 1% of the US population (over 300 million people) are diagnosed narcissists. One statistic I read said 6%. Considering the difficulty in diagnosing NPD (they rarely seek help on their own because they think they're always right), I'm sure that the 6% is more accurate. Let's round it to 5%, just for the math's sake. So, 5% of 300 million is 15 million. Now, let's be generous. The US divorce rate is about 50%. Now I'm sure that more than 50% of marriages involving narcissists end in divorce (there are so many other factors out there), but just for now, we'll factor in the average divorce rate to that 15 million so now we have 7.5 million. Now, here's one more factor for you. Every stastic I've read estimates that of diagnosed NPD's, 75% are men. (Men, I'm not picking on you. It's just the facts.) So, now we have 5.625 million. Let's round that up to an even number: 6 million. Precious, you are NOT ALONE. You are one of an estimated six million mom's in this country who are in this battle. Just doing the basic math, for me, that makes me on of probably about 1200 moms IN MY COUNTY ALONE in my situation. What I wouldn't give for a meeting with those 12oo amazing women. Wow. Staggering.
I've wrestled with this issue for a long time now. Years now. Today I decided to start this blog. I want to share information, experience and encouragement. If you're me, please stay tuned. Let me hear from you, too. I'm you, and you're me, so let's help each other along through this. :)
Just another thing, my main source of encouragement, alongside my family and friends is the Bible. That's right. I love Jesus. I will not be shy about talking about Him on here or posting things that I read from the Bible. That being said, please don't shy away from here if you're not a Christian. If you believe something different than me, I completely respect your right to believe that. I won't argue with you, and I won't berate you. I do believe what I believe , so please don't try to convert me or convince me that I'm wrong. I will pray for you, for Blessings to overtake you, and I will give my absolute best to encourage you. :) Thanks for reading!!
Love and Hugs!!!!
MWP
(Mom, Warrior Princess)
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