Beyond Words with Najwa Zebian 003- How to Heal After a Narcissist
If you’ve ever blamed yourself for how someone mistreated you, this episode is for you.
Najwa dives deep into the emotional aftermath of narcissistic abuse: how it distorts your reality, erodes your self-trust, and leaves you questioning your worth. She explains why gaslighting, love bombing, triangulation, and emotional confusion are tools of control, not love. And she reminds you of the most important truth:
You were never hard to love. You were simply hard to control.
This episode offers three powerful healing strategies to help you stop blaming yourself, find closure without their apology, and reclaim your power, your clarity, and your peace.
Timestamps & Show Notes:
00:00 – “It wasn’t that bad” – how we gaslight ourselves after narcissistic abuse
01:00 – Why naming the harm matters more than labeling the person
03:10 – Love bombing is not love - it’s control wrapped in affection
04:50 – The slow emotional erosion: how you ended up in a drought
06:00 – Why narcissists teach you to minimize your own pain
07:10 – What gaslighting really is - and why it leaves you doubting your reality
09:00 – When you start gaslighting yourself to keep the peace
10:00 – The invisible contract: love offered, control delivered
13:00 – Word salad, deflection, and emotional confusion as tools of manipulation
17:00 – You weren’t too attached - you were attached to the wrong person
18:50 – The marionette effect: how narcissists condition and control you
20:00 – Stop blaming yourself for their decision to hurt you
22:00 – Closure doesn’t come from them -it comes from truth
25:40 – Triangulation: when they gave others what you yearned for
27:00 – Clarity is your healing. Confusion was their goal.
28:00 – You were never hard to love. You were hard to control.
30:00 – Reclaim your reflection, your voice, your power
33:50 – This is your closure. You didn’t deserve any of it.