Narcissist Apocalypse: Patterns of Abuse

In this Narcissist Apocalypse rerelease, Lyric shares her story of surviving financial abuse inside her marriage.

What began as persistence, charm, and devotion slowly turned into control, accusations, and financial exploitation. After marrying, Lyric found herself paying for nearly everything while her partner dismantled her stability piece by piece.

This episode explores how financial abuse develops, why abusers target successful partners, and the warning signs survivors often recognize only in hindsight.

It’s a story of persistence, creating narratives, peer pressure, the value of letting go, mirroring, love bombing, sexual abuse, shame, the fear of being alone, charisma, friends with good intentions, suffering in silence, lying, infidelity, gut feelings, legal mistakes, and divorce. 

 Content Warning - This episode briefly discusses childhood sexual abuse

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In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse Q&A, we explore why some abusive partners don’t let go after the relationship ends — and instead escalate their behavior in an attempt to regain control.
Many survivors expect leaving to bring peace. But for those dealing with a vindictive narcissist, separation can trigger retaliation, punishment, and prolonged psychological warfare.
Drawing from survivor patterns we’ve heard in stories like Rose’s, and Wednesday’s, we break down what vindictive behavior really means, what causes it, and why it often emerges after a narcissistic injury — when the abuser experiences your independence as a threat to their identity and control.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why narcissists escalate after you leave
• What a narcissistic injury is and why it triggers retaliation
• How vindictive narcissists weaponize courts, finances, and social systems
• Why their behavior feels calculated rather than emotional
• Why reasoning, appeasement, or fairness rarely stops the pattern
• And the turning point survivors reach when they stop trying to fix the abuser and begin reclaiming themselves
If you’ve ever felt punished for leaving, this episode will help you understand the psychology behind vindictiveness — and why their behavior was never a reflection of your worth, but of their need for control.

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In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Brandon examines the psychological patterns underneath Rose’s survivor story, focusing on how trust, vulnerability, and emotional connection can be gradually used to establish control.
Rose entered her relationship independent, capable, and financially secure. She had built a life on her own and trusted her ability to maintain it. But over time, what initially felt like partnership slowly became something else. Through shared decisions, emotional influence, shifting promises, and the strategic use of vulnerability, Rose’s autonomy was quietly dismantled. What once belonged entirely to her began to feel uncertain, conditional, and no longer fully under her control.
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Click on the title to read about Coercive Control as Care: Signs & Patterns
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In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Rose shares her journey of surviving childhood abuse, coercive control, and financial exploitation at the hands of a manipulative partner who quietly dismantled her autonomy.
Growing up, Rose endured sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and chronic betrayal from the very people meant to protect her. With no safe parent, no validation, and no protector, Rose learned to survive by becoming invisible, self-reliant, and emotionally self-contained — carrying shame that would later be weaponized against her.
As an adult, Rose built independence, financial stability, and a life of her own. But when she met a charismatic lawyer who quickly love-bombed her, he exploited her vulnerabilities, her longing for family, and her deeply conditioned tendency to people-please. What began as excitement and possibility slowly revealed itself as financial abuse, sexual coercion, emotional degradation, and relentless manipulation.
It’s a story of childhood trauma, shame, scapegoating, put downs, people pleasing, excuses, dangling carrots - shifting goal posts, breadcrumbs of attention, depression, exhaustion, verbal abuse, breakup threats, power dynamics, complying, self blame, victim hood, love bombing, financial abuse, future faking, goalpost shifting, trauma bonding, guilt manipulation, sexual coercion, post-separation abuse, legal intimidation, psychological collapse, suicidal ideation,  rebuilding independence, and ultimately reclaiming autonomy.
 Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicidal ideation, physical abuse, sexual coercion, and childhood sexual abuse. 
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Click on the title to read about Coercive Control as Care: Signs & Patterns
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In this re-release episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Brandon and his old pal Melissa listen to unsent 'Letters To My Narcissist' that they received from a handful of courageous narcissistic abuse survivors. It's an emotional roller coaster of an episode that will make you laugh and cry, with some goosebumps in between. Prepare to be impacted. 
 CONTENT WARNING - Some letters discuss sexual assault and child abuse 
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Click on the title to read about Self Gaslighting & Why You Doubt Your Reality
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