If Only I’d Known: How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundaries, and Create Unshakeable Self-Worth

Written by a therapist, this three-part book provides insights and strategies for understanding narcissists, healing from narcissistic abuse, and achieving post-traumatic growth. The book addresses common experiences in relationships with narcissists: feeling that something is wrong without being able to explain it, leaving conversations more confused than before, mentally rehearsing how to communicate to avoid anger, constantly trying to make sense of feelings and events, and feeling inadequate despite effort. Narcissistic abuse creates confusion, hypervigilance, and overthinking that can impair clarity, memory, and information processing, leaving you feeling frazzled and questioning what's wrong with you. The book explains how narcissistic abuse subtly dismantles your sense of self and self-worth. Topics covered include how different narcissistic types use love bombing, cognitive and emotional warning signs of abuse, how trauma bonds form and how to break them, setting boundaries as an empath or highly sensitive person, and reasons people remain in these relationships. The book addresses specific questions: How did I enter this relationship? If there was no intense love-bombing phase, are they still a narcissist? How can I set boundaries as a people pleaser? Is healing possible? Where do I start feeling lost and broken?