25 | Dating as a Practice Ground for Self-Trust

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of dating after experiencing narcissistic abuse and coercive control, focusing on the pressure and anxiety that can arise in such situations.

Dating after narcissistic abuse or coercive control can feel less like excitement… and more like a full-blown survival exam. In this episode, I’m talking about why dating after abuse often becomes loaded with pressure, hypervigilance, self-criticism, and endless overthinking. The “Am I gonna miss the red flags again?” spiral. The scanning. The second-guessing. The feeling that every interaction somehow determines whether you’ll end up hurt all over again. But what if dating wasn’t actually ab...

People in this episode

Host: Erika Leon

Topics covered

• dating
• self-trust
• narcissistic abuse
• coercive control
• mental health
• relationships

Keywords

• dating
• self-trust
• narcissistic abuse
• coercive control
• hypervigilance
• relationships
• red flags
• self-criticism
• overthinking

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• 24 | The “Oh Hell No” Phase of Healing: When All You See are Red Flags · May 21, 2026 · 18 min
• 23 | Dating After Abuse: Slower, Safer Sparks · May 14, 2026 · 16 min
• 22 | Financial Fear After Narcissistic Abuse: What Nobody Talks About · May 7, 2026 · 18 min
• 21 | The Quiet Grief of "Wasted Years" · April 23, 2026 · 21 min