Candid Stories
Personal essays about complex trauma, coercive control, and the slow, messy work of healing — and the manipulators, scammers, and false gurus who make that work harder. Plus a bit of fun and adventure thrown in.
I'm not a psychologist or a licensed anything. I'm a reader, a researcher, and a person who has been through some things. Think critically, do your own research, and seek professional support when you need it.
If something here resonates, leave a comment. I'd genuinely love to hear from you!
The Key I Forgot: Escaping Was the Easy Part
A personal essay about leaving a five-year emotionally abusive relationship — the morning of the escape, the drive home, and why walking out the door was only the beginning. Part one of two.
Narcissistic Friends and Their Codependent Comrades
I wanted a better friend like I wanted a better mother, and although it was never my job to improve either of them, I felt the need to take on the challenge. Part two of two.
Fatal Friends: Recognizing a Narcissistic Friend After 17 Years
“Have you heard from Autumn lately?" I asked my sister, as we ate dinner across from each other. She sealed her lips and squinted her eyes, nonverbally signaling that I might not like what I was about to hear. (Part one of two.)
The Grim Guest: Life and its Inevitable End
I spent my teenage years researching ways to die and hanging out in cemeteries. My relationship with death has changed considerably since then — but not entirely.
Fateful Affairs: Cheating on the Cheaters
A candid confession about emotional affairs, self-deception, and the pattern of seeking self-worth from the wrong people — written before I had the language to fully understand it.