Dimming The Gaslight: Our Healing Journey From Narcissistic Abuse

Episodes

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  Episode 199: Two Ex Wives Teamed Up to Warn His Secret Girlfriend, Who Was Wearing Wife Number Two’s Coat (Interview with Dina and Lizzie from @survivingrelationships12) 18.10.2026 1h 30m

  He married four women, kept a secret girlfriend a town over from wife number two, and still cried his way into playing the victim. Then wife number one picked up the phone and called wife number two.This week, Mac and Phil sit down with Dina and Lizzie, the Matadoras behind the podcast Surviving Toxic Relationships, two women who were married to the same narcissist and became best friends because of it.🏍️ Two very different love bombings: a 19 year old in a light blue tux walking over to Dina’s KFC job, and a man who took over Lizzie’s grocery runs for her four boys⛪ How he faked vulnerability at church, cried through worship songs, and used couples counseling to turn himself into the victim😭 The sobbing childhood trauma story he told Dina, and what he admitted about it later📖 The phone book incident Dina walked in on, and the “friendly pervert” confession that followed💸 Locked out of the phone account, cut off from credit cards, and handed $20 for a whole weekend before Lizzie walked out📱 The Facebook message and phone call that told his secret girlfriend Lizzie existed, and the red coat he said an old lady gave her🚔 What she did next: a lawyer by Sunday, cops and a restraining order waiting Monday, and an annulment filed for fraud💍 The woman he married two months later in another state, and the 27 women on his phoneThis one is wild, ridiculous, and funny in the way only survivors can be, and proof that two women who could have been enemies became each other’s biggest win.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events, except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast, newsflash, you’re the narcissist.Watch Surviving Toxic Relationships on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12Also on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyWebsite: survivingtoxicrelationships.orgFollow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  Episode 198: She Signed Four Leases for a Con Man Who Took Close to $300,000 (Interview with Victoria Morgan from @one_strong_mother) 11.10.2026 1h 24m

  A stranger stopped her outside Grand Central. Eleven years later she was broke, trapped, and signing leases for his entire family.This week, Mac and Phil sit down with Victoria Morgan, a pharmacist and research scientist who runs @one_strong_mother, to hear how a man with a $10 million story and a Wikipedia page turned her escape from one abusive marriage into a decade of financial and psychological control.🚉 He approaches her the day after Valentine’s Day and says he sold his company for $10 million🏠 His “house” turns out to be one rented room, and the landlord slips her a note warning her about the other women📱 Two young women only friended him and commented on his posts, and they turned out to be fake profiles he ran himself🏪 The cell phone store, the leases, and the lines of credit were all in her name while he kept the commissions💸 Invitations he said cost $1,200 were $226 and a photographer he said cost $3,000 was $400👨‍👩‍👦 The wife he swore was his ex lived in the house, and his parents were told Victoria was just a tenant🚨 A breakup, an order of protection, him outside her door at 2am, and a burner phone text that pulled her back in🗝️ Ten months in the worst house of her life, a mattress on her back as she left in a U Haul, and the free five step escape plan she builtHe told her she would never meet anyone like him if she left. Peace is priceless and freedom is the prize.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events — except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.Follow Victoria: @one_strong_mother (her free escape plan is linked in her bio)Follow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  Episode 197: Her Father Left a Note on the TV Blaming Her for His Affair and Vanished With the Family's Savings (Interview with Sofia Moreno) 27.09.2026 1h 5m

  he was seven years old the first time her uncle called it a game. Twenty years later her own father skipped town on New Year's Day and left her a letter blaming her for it.This week, Mac and Phil sit down with Sofia Moreno, survivor turned author and founder of a nonprofit supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.🚨 What happened when Sofia's mother walked in on the abuse firsthand, and the local police response that amounted to nothing but a piece of paper👨‍👩‍👧 How her father's side of the family closed ranks around her abuser while blaming a seven year old for "dressing promiscuously"🎭 The Jekyll and Hyde covert narcissist playbook her father ran for years, beloved by everyone outside the house and a completely different man behind closed doors💸 The secret second mortgage, the drained accounts, and the affairs her father tried to pin on her mother instead📺 The Dear John letter waiting on top of the television the day he disappeared, and who he blamed for making him leave⚰️ Finding out her grandmother's memorial had happened without her, and the email that finally severed the relationship for good📚 How Sofia turned decades of trauma into two published books, a nonprofit, and a biweekly support group for survivors still finding their wordsThis one goes to some of the darkest places the show has covered and still lands somewhere hopeful, proof that the story doesn't have to end where the abuse did.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events — except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we're talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you're the narcissist.Check out Sofia's books, "I Am a Survivor" and "A Message to My Abuser" (available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble)Follow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  Episode 196: She Learned Her Abuser Was Murdered Through a Facebook Live Video (Interview with Randin Steed from @sunshine_solitude_softball_) 20.09.2026 1h 26m

  She spent years trapped in a cycle of love bombing, addiction, and violence with a man who once strangled her unconscious. Then one night, scrolling Facebook on her back porch, she watched his death unfold live on her screen before anyone told her.This week, Mac and Phil sit down with Randin Steed, who writes as Sunshine Faye, author of Dance With the Devil and The Manipulation Whisperer, and cohost of the podcast Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell.🕯️ The night she said goodbye to her abuser, not knowing it was the last time she'd see him alive📱 How she found out he'd been murdered, not from a phone call, but from a Facebook Live video of the scene🚓 The time police drove her to jail instead of him, after he choked her unconscious and dragged her by the hair✍️ Why she wrote her first book raw and unfiltered, and what happened when she realized how many people needed it🧠 Her breakdown of the hook, the love bombing and future faking that gets survivors stuck before they even see it coming♟️ The difference between gray rocking and what she calls yellow rocking a co parent who won't disengage💬 Why she believes healthy people gaslight too, and where the real line between normal conflict and manipulation actually sitsThis one is heavy, unfiltered, and honest about the messy, nonlinear road out. Randin doesn't hand you a bow on top. She hands you the truth and tells you to stand up.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events, except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we're talking about you in this podcast, newsflash, you're the narcissist.Books: Dance With the Devil and The Manipulation Whisperer by Sunshine Faye, available on AmazonPodcast: Stories We Weren't Supposed to TellFollow Randin: @sunshine_solitude_softball_Follow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  Episode 195: She Built an App That Catches Narcissists Lying (Interview with @disputebuddy 13.09.2026 1h 29m

  After years of therapy before she even had a word for what happened to her, Jenny Rudd built an AI that could see it plainly — and it started with her own decade-plus marriage.This week, Mac and Phil sit down with Jenny Rudd, founder of Dispute Buddy — a platform that scans years of text messages with an abusive ex and surfaces the patterns of coercive control survivors can't always name themselves.🔍 What happened when Jenny finally ran her own texts through her own app, and it handed back a decade-plus documented pattern of coercive control she'd normalized for years⚖️ How the system finds tactics like being accused of the exact thing your abuser is doing, disparaging family to isolate you, and disguising financial abuse as "consequences"📵 Why responding to messages out of order isn't disorganization — it's a deliberate way to control the narrative and keep you confused🧠 Jenny's take on why 25% of Dispute Buddy users are men, and what that number reveals about who's actually suffering coercive control and staying silent♀️ Her view on feminism as fundamentally about emotional equality for men — and why she believes that's the missing piece for real economic equality for women👨‍👩‍👧 How the app approaches parental alienation, and why she believes both sides of that debate are carrying real, valid pain🏛️ Why she built Dispute Buddy to close the access-to-justice gap for people without the money, time, or safety to document their own abuseThis one is validating, sharp, and unexpectedly funny — proof that the patterns you couldn't explain to anyone finally have a name, and now, receipts.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events — except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we're talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you're the narcissist.Learn more about Dispute Buddy: disputebuddy.coFollow Jenny: @[handle]Follow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  Episode 194: Taelor Part 2: Reclaiming Her Identity From The Parent Who Tried To Become Her 30.08.2026 1h 29m

  Last week, Taelor told us her story for the first time. It was heavy. It was raw. And we promised we wouldn't leave it there.She's back.This week isn't about what happened to her. It's about everything she built after.🪞 The moment she realized her own body had been keeping score for years, and finally let it stop📓 Reading her abuser's old Facebook posts and recognizing every classic narcissist tactic in real time👊 The exact moment her abuser stopped being a bully, the second she started fighting back💉 A senior year "diet" involving an unregulated hormone injection and 500 calories a day, orchestrated by her own mother🧠 A viral question she asked the internet that stopped people cold: is the "good" parent in an abusive home actually safe?🔥 What it actually took, over a decade of inner work, to go from surviving to leading a community of other survivorsThis is the episode about what comes after the worst chapter. Not closure. Not a bow on top. Just Taelor, fully herself, telling the rest of the story on her own terms.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events — except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we're talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you're the narcissist.Follow Dr. Taelor: @sos.with.doctor.taelor (Instagram/TikTok) | Podcast: Overcoming: The PodcastFollow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  EPISODE 193: The Parent's Bizarre Obsession: From Abuse to Transitioning & Becoming Like Their Daughter | Dr. Taelor's Story 23.08.2026 1h 31m

  Five years ago, Mac was couch-surfing, sleeping in his car, and scrolling Instagram from his dad's basement — and one page stopped him cold: a woman healing out loud from complex trauma. That woman is here today.We sit down with Dr. Taelor — Doctor of Occupational Therapy, trauma advocate, and founder of Survivors Overcoming Silence (SOS) — for a story she has never told publicly before. This is complex trauma at its most complex: a childhood built on walking on eggshells, a "golden child" competition with a parent who saw her as competition, a national news scandal, false restraining orders, death threats, a grandmother who called her a devil child, a faked cancer diagnosis, and a parent's transition that Taelor says was less about identity and more about becoming her.We go deep on gaslighting, "destiny swapping," psychological conditioning, and what it actually takes to reclaim your identity after someone spent a lifetime trying to erase it. Fair warning: there's a voicemail in this one that will haunt you.This one's heavy, it's raw, and it's only 10% of the iceberg — so buckle up, because we're already bringing her back for Part 2.⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events — except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we're talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you're the narcissist.Follow Dr. Taelor: @sos.with.doctor.taelor (Instagram/TikTok) | Podcast: Overcoming: The PodcastFollow us: @dimming_the_gaslightJoin us on Patreon | Discord | DTG Merch Store | dimmingthegaslight.com
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  Episode 192: Christina Returns: Her Parents Called The Podcast Lies — So She Came Back To Set The Record Straight 16.08.2026 1h 27m

  Back in episodes 144 and 145, Christina told us about her toxic ex, her toxic childhood, and a four-wheeler ride that never should've happened while pregnant.This time she's back for a very different reason.Her parents found the podcast. They didn't love what they heard. And their solution wasn't a conversation — it was a demand: take it down, or else.So Christina came back to "continue lying." Allegedly.🛏️ Being forced to sleep in her mom's bed until she was 15 — and punished for wanting her own😶 A childhood abuse disclosure met with "what did you do for him to do that to you?"👗 A mother who dressed her provocatively, then called her "nasty" for being looked at📞 Fake party invites used to guilt her back into the house every single holiday🏥 A 14-year-old daughter and grandmother teaming up behind closed doors🚨 Six DSS calls in four years — every single one unfounded🤡 Parents insisting SHE'S the liar for finally telling her own story out loudBy the end, Christina isn't spinning anything. She's not apologizing. She's just done staying quiet — and everyone around her can finally see exactly who's been lying the whole time.This one's the where-are-they-now everybody needed — chaotic, dark, and honestly one of the funniest episodes we've recorded.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 191: JP Returns: The Divorce Is Final — But the War Was Just Getting Started PART II 09.08.2026 1h 21m

  Last time, JP left us on a cliffhanger: her ex reported their own 18-year-old daughter to a federal watchdog agency, claiming she committed fraud on her FAFSA — all to keep his daughter out of a four-year college and off his child support bill.This week, the investigation reaches a verdict.But getting there means JP pulling an all-nighter in a hotel room, uploading three years of receipts down to the last 50 cents, while her daughter sleeps beside her on what's supposed to be a graduation celebration trip.📋 A federal fraud claim filed against his own teenage daughter🚗 A $7,000 car he claims costs $1,000 a month in "maintenance"📧 Subpoenaed emails showing him getting cozy with college staff behind the scenes🖼️ His new wife quietly removing their daughter's photo from the family mantle📝 A handwritten list of reasons their daughter wanted to leave — one she made JP promise never to bring to court💵 A courtroom standoff between a $700 "nuisance" offer and a six-figure settlement🦋 A butterfly, a chrysalis, and the first time in years JP feels like she's actually landed on her feetThis is the finale of JP's four-part journey — and the moment she stops asking to be believed, and starts being believed.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 190: JP Returns: The Divorce Is Final — But the War Was Just Getting Started PART I 02.08.2026 1h 23m

  Back in episode 154/155, JP told us about her marriage to a man she now simply calls "exhole." We left that story mid-sentence — she was still deep in the trenches of her divorce, and we promised to bring her back once it was over.It's over now.But "over" doesn't mean what you'd think.What follows is a year-long descent into a family court system that JP says is built to protect abusers, not survivors — and a masterclass in exactly how far a narcissist will go to win.⚖️ A biased judge who tells the victim to pay HER abuser📧 A three-page email calling her "delusional" — with an insult hidden in the password💍 A secret joint tax filing designed to dodge financial disclosure💰 A $19,000 "incentive" that was really a manipulation tactic🏦 Bankruptcy, maxed-out credit cards, and a legal fight funded by her late grandmother's inheritance🎓 Her ex reporting their own 18-year-old daughter to the federal government for "fraud" — over a college financial aid form🏡 A breakdown in the backyard that becomes the turning point of her entire fightAnd just when she'd given up completely, salvation shows up in the most unexpected place: a jacuzzi at a cancer survivors' retreat.This is the episode about what happens after the divorce is "final" — when the paperwork ends but the manipulation doesn't.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 189: "I Moved to France With My Prince Charming... Then I Learned Who He Really Was" Part II (Interview with Wendy @rebelle_2929 on IG) 14.06.2026 1h 22m

  Last week, Wendy shared the story of her marriage to a man she wouldn't fully recognize as a narcissist until years after the divorce.This week?Everything explodes.A Facebook message arrives from one of his mistresses. At first, Wendy thinks it's a scam. Then the woman starts sharing details that only someone on the inside could know.What follows is a phone call that completely shatters reality.💔 A secret live-in girlfriend.💍 A ring purchased for another woman.🤰 A hidden pregnancy.📱 A second phone.🎭 Years of lies told to multiple women at the same time.And somehow... that's only the beginning.As Wendy compares notes with the woman she once blamed for the affair, she realizes something chilling:Neither of them actually knew who this man was.Part 2 is one of the most jaw-dropping episodes we've ever released.
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  Episode 188: "I Moved to France With My Prince Charming... Then I Learned Who He Really Was" Part I (Interview with Wendy @rebelle_2929 on IG) 07.06.2026 1h 34m

  We have an INCREDIBLE episode for you today.Wendy Cooper joins us to tell a story that starts like a fairy tale—and slowly turns into something she couldn't fully understand until years later.A successful attorney, former competitive skier, world traveler, and adventurer, Wendy thought she had found her Prince Charming. The chemistry was intense. The connection felt undeniable. The future seemed limitless.Then the mask started slipping.🎿 The Fairytale Beginning: What started with instant chemistry, bizarre coincidences, and a whirlwind romance quickly felt like the perfect match. Looking back now, Wendy can see the performance for what it was—but at the time, it felt completely real.🚩 The First Red Flag That Changed Everything: After months of being the perfect partner, one phone call revealed a completely different person. Cold. Dismissive. Cruel. The kind of moment that leaves you wondering, "Who was THAT?"🇫🇷 The Dream Life in France: Wendy shares how she left behind the traditional path to build an extraordinary life overseas—raising a family, practicing law, and chasing adventure around the world. From the outside, it looked incredible.🎭 The Narcissist Who Fooled Everyone: Therapists. Friends. Family. Even Wendy herself. We get into how some narcissists don't dominate with rage—they dominate by becoming the victim in every room they enter.👶 When the Attention Shifted to the Kids: As their family grew, the cracks became impossible to ignore. What should have been some of life's happiest moments became some of the loneliest.🧠 "I Didn't Even Know It Was Narcissism": One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is hearing Wendy explain that she didn't leave because she knew what she was dealing with. In fact, she didn't even start researching narcissism until long after the separation.📚 The Moment Everything Finally Made Sense: Like so many survivors, Wendy began looking back at years of confusing memories and realizing they weren't random incidents—they were part of a pattern.💔 The Marriage That Never Felt Right: This episode explores something many survivors struggle to explain: what happens when a relationship isn't obviously catastrophic, but somehow leaves you feeling exhausted, confused, and emotionally alone for years.This episode is insightful, validating, heartbreaking, and packed with those moments where you'll find yourself saying, "Wait... my ex did that too."JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 187: The Narcissist Who Faked Terminal Illness for Control (Interview With Saige Whitney) 24.05.2026 1h 22m

  Saige Whitney from A Lights Out Narcissistic Podcast joins us to tell the unbelievable story of how a vulnerable friendship with a patient at a nursing facility spiraled into manipulation, addiction, emotional abuse, fake medical emergencies, and a marriage built on lies.And somehow… it only gets crazier as the episode goes on.🏥 “I Have Six Months to Live… Will You Marry Me?”: What starts as a friendship instantly turns into emotional chaos when Sage is told her new partner is terminally ill—and wants to get married immediately. Looking back now, the red flags were EVERYWHERE.🎭 The Fake Illnesses Start Piling Up: Cancer. Kidney failure. Gastroparesis. Endless ER visits. Constant emergencies. But over time, Sage begins realizing something horrifying: almost none of it was real.💊 The Drug Mule Realization: Weekly hospital trips suddenly start making a lot more sense once Sage uncovers the truth behind the self-harm, opioid addiction, and manipulation happening behind closed doors.⚠️ “Everyone Is Abusing Me”: One of the most disturbing parts of this story is how false accusations became a weapon. We get into what happens when someone constantly creates chaos, makes horrifying claims, and slowly conditions you to question reality itself.🧠 Why Narcissists LOVE Vulnerable People: This conversation gets DEEP into why survivors with empathy, loyalty, addiction struggles, trauma, or “good girl syndrome” often become the perfect targets for manipulative people.🎬 The Horror Movie Parallel That Explains Narcissism PERFECTLY: Sage explains how the movie Lights Out became the inspiration behind her podcast—and honestly… it may be one of the best metaphors for narcissistic abuse we’ve ever heard.💔 “I Thought I Could Heal Her”: We also get into the savior complex so many survivors develop, and the brutal realization that sometimes the more you sacrifice yourself for someone… the more they destroy you.👀 And Then The Mask Fully Slips: Between fake illnesses, secret hookups, manipulation tactics, and emotional control, the story slowly transforms from “sad” to genuinely disturbing.This episode is funny, dark, uncomfortable, validating, and absolutely jaw-dropping at times. If you’ve ever ignored red flags because you wanted to believe the best in someone… this conversation is going to hit HARD.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 186: The Song ‘Superman’ Came From Years of Hidden Abuse (interview with Allison Scott) 10.05.2026 1h 13m

  Allison Scott joins us for one of the most raw, emotional, and honestly jaw-dropping conversations we’ve had on the show yet.What starts as a conversation about her song Superman quickly turns into a deep dive into covert narcissistic abuse, religious manipulation, emotional control, infidelity, trauma, motherhood, and what it actually feels like to slowly lose yourself inside a marriage that looks “perfect” from the outside.🎵 The Lyric That Hit Us Like a Truck: Allison opens up about the inspiration behind her song Superman—and the heartbreaking feeling of believing you “deserve to be unseen.” 🧠 “He Was Nice While Destroying Me”: No screaming. No obvious explosions. Just years of subtle criticism, control, judgment, and emotional erosion disguised as kindness. We talk about the kind of abuse that’s almost impossible to explain to people who haven’t lived it.⛪ Religious Abuse & Weaponized Faith: Allison shares how scripture, theology, and “being a good wife” were used to keep her quiet, submissive, and constantly questioning herself. 👀 The Moment Everything Finally Clicked: After years of chaos, infidelity, emotional neglect, and manipulation, one realization changed everything: “This is abuse.” We get into the terrifying moment when you finally see the relationship clearly for what it actually is.💔 The Stories That Will Make Your Jaw Drop: From emotional cruelty during pregnancies… to being compared to prostitutes… to subtle psychological control behind closed doors… some of these moments are genuinely hard to believe.🎶 Music as Trauma Therapy: One of the most beautiful parts of this episode is hearing how songwriting, singing, dancing, and creativity became part of Allison’s healing journey after years of emotional survival mode.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 185: Rewiring the Brain: EMDR, Trauma, & When Dangerous Feels Like Home (Interview With Sonnet Daymont) 03.05.2026 1h 18m

  Sonnet Daymont is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in relational trauma, but she also brings a profound, heavy lived experience to the table.🧠 When Dangerous Feels Like Home: Sonnet details her intense personal experience of working for a boss who later committed murder, explaining how early childhood trauma creates blind spots that cause us to choose danger because it feels familiar.⚠️ The Dark Triad Spectrum: We break down the exact differences between narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths, discussing what actually motivates them and whether these personality disorders can ever truly be treated.👁️ Rewiring the Brain with EMDR: A massive deep dive into exactly how EMDR therapy works. Sonnet explains how bilateral stimulation engages the prefrontal cortex to literally clear the physical and emotional charge of a traumatic memory down to a zero.🎸 Music & Finding Your Voice: Mac discusses his own healing journey through playing his new guitar, while Sonnet and Phil explore why society often silences the male emotional experience and how men can finally find a voice for their trauma.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 184: What if the narcissist… is your child? (Interview with Lily) 26.04.2026 1h 32m

  We’ve talked a lot about the damage narcissists leave behind… but this episode flips the script in a way we’ve never explored before.Lily joins us to share her story as a mother of a narcissist — a role that comes with intense shame, silence, and judgment. For years, she believed what many parents are conditioned to believe: if something is wrong with your child, it must be your fault.So she did what she thought a “good mother” should do. She apologized. She took responsibility.She gave more, sacrificed more… and kept trying to fix something that only seemed to get worse.But behind the scenes, something far more complex — and far more disturbing — was happening.In this episode, we dive into:What it looks like when narcissistic abuse comes from your own childHow guilt, societal pressure, and therapy culture can keep parents stuckThe subtle shift from loving relationship to emotional chaosWhy narcissists can appear vulnerable, self-aware… even empatheticThe breaking point where Lily realized: this isn’t me… this is herAnd the eerie sense of peace that comes with finally letting goThis conversation is raw, uncomfortable, and deeply eye-opening — especially if you’ve ever questioned your own reality in a relationship.Because sometimes… the roles aren’t what you think they are.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 183: Post Betrayal Syndrome: Why Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds (Interview with Dr. Debi Silber) 12.04.2026 51m

  We have a massive episode for you today! We talk a lot on this show about the absolute wreckage a narcissist leaves behind, but this week, we are getting into the actual science of how that damage fundamentally changes our brains and our bodies.Mac and Phil are joined by holistic psychologist and betrayal recovery expert, Dr. Debi Silber, to break down the exact roadmap for putting the pieces back together.🧠 The Science of Betrayal: Dr. Debi explains the fundamental difference between surviving a general life crisis and surviving a betrayal, and why traditional healing methods often fail to fix a shattered sense of trust.📉 Post Betrayal Syndrome (PBS): We dive into the staggering statistics of PBS and how emotional abuse directly manifests into chronic physical illnesses, digestive problems, and severe exhaustion.🛑 The "Stage 3" Trap: We break down the 5 Stages of Betrayal Recovery, focusing heavily on the dangerous "survival mode" where victims often get stuck for years—and why support groups can sometimes make it worse.📖 Getting Unstuck: Dr. Debi shares actionable steps from her newest book, Unstuck, on how to transition from mere survival into total transformation, even when you still have to co-parent or deal with the betrayer in everyday life.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 182 Gaslighting for God: Escaping Spiritual Narcissism (Interview with Becky Garrison) 29.03.2026 1h 9m

  We are diving into the intersection of religion and narcissism. Following up on last week's Buddhist perspective, this episode takes a completely different, highly satirical approach to surviving toxic environments.🙏 Gaslighting for God: We sit down with author Becky Garrison to discuss her new book, a satirical guidebook and memoir that tackles spiritual abuse using personal stories and scholarly research. Click the link to buy her book! ❤️ The Ultimate Weapon: Mac and Becky discuss the power of satire when dealing with narcissists, including why a southern "bless your heart" is the absolute best way to tell someone off.🔥 Shattering Idols: Becky breaks down her philosophy on surviving a global reckoning, why tearing down false idols is painful but necessary, and how to find glimpses of real goodness in the fragments left behind.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 181: Empath or Abuser? The Narcissist's Crossroads (Intervirew with Nana Gyesie) 22.03.2026 49m

  Mac and Phil sit down with special guest Nana Gyesie, a lifecoach, mentor and buddist! We uncover the exact "crossroads" in life that separates a humble empath from a manipulative narcissist.🧠 The Narcissism Spectrum: Guest Nana joins the show to explore how narcissism runs on a spectrum and how people consciously lean into dark manipulation.🔀 The Ultimate Crossroads: We break down the pivotal moment in life where a person goes through extreme hardship and must choose a path: become a toxic abuser or a humble empath.❤️ Surviving the Fire: Phil and Mac reflect on their own traumatic pasts, discussing why enduring real pain makes you highly empathetic rather than turning you cold and calculating.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.
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  Episode 180: 29 Years with a Narcissist (Mia Hanks Story) 01.03.2026 1h 2m

  What happens when the love-bombing is so intense that you find yourself trapped for nearly three decades? This week, we are joined by Mia Hanks @npd.andme , author of the upcoming memoir “Bride-Made”. Mia shares the terrifying reality of surviving a 29-year marriage to a narcissist.From the lavish dates and over-the-top gifts that reeled her in, to the relentless gaslighting that convinced her she was the root of every problem, Mia breaks down her journey. We discuss the danger of marrying someone who constantly paints themselves as the “smartest guy in the room” and the incredible strength it takes to finally walk away.JOIN US ON DISCORD!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join us on Patreon!For all things DTG, visit 👉 ⁠www.dimmingthegaslight.com⁠⚖️ Disclaimer (because our lawyers make us say this): Dimming The Gaslight is based entirely on true events—except for the stuff we totally made up. Names, locations, and other identifying details have been changed. If you think we’re talking about you in this podcast… newsflash: you’re the narcissist.