The Rising Beyond Podcast

Ep 78: Breaking the Comparison Trap: Owning Your Trauma as you Heal from Narcissistic Abuse

December 20, 2023 Sybil Cummin, MA, LPC, ACS Season 1 Episode 78
Ep 78: Breaking the Comparison Trap: Owning Your Trauma as you Heal from Narcissistic Abuse
The Rising Beyond Podcast
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The Rising Beyond Podcast
Ep 78: Breaking the Comparison Trap: Owning Your Trauma as you Heal from Narcissistic Abuse
Dec 20, 2023 Season 1 Episode 78
Sybil Cummin, MA, LPC, ACS

Victims and survivors of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse minimize their experience through comparison, which prevents you from fully healing.

If you have ever thought “I should just stop complaining or stay quiet,” because someone else’s situation seems so much worse than yours then you need to listen to this episode.  

Or maybe you are constantly thinking, “Why can’t I just get over this?  It wasn’t that big of a deal.” 

Comparing your relationship and abuse to other victims and survivors can completely stunt your healing and growth.

“There is no hierarchy of suffering . . . being a survivor, being a ‘thriver’ requires absolute acceptance of what was and what is. If we discount our pain, or punish ourselves for feeling lost or isolated or scared about the challenges in our lives, however insignificant these challenges may seem to someone else, then we’re still choosing to be victims” (pg 8). Dr. Edith Eger

Some of the ways that I hear survivors comparing themselves to others are:

I didn’t escape, I was discarded.

I was never physically abused/sexually abused.

I don’t have children.

I was able to get a protection order or I wasn’t able to get a protection order.

I haven’t lost my children in family court and other protective parents have.

I am employed and have an education.

I have a supportive family while others do not.

Trauma is relative to you, your situation, your past, you as an individual.

Often we are using comparison to minimize our pain and betrayal.  It can be so daunting and scary to really look at what has happened to us and so when we compare ourselves to someone who has it worse, it is a way to lighten the damage.  But this is doing us a huge disservice.  It is increasing or creating the cognitive dissonance that keeps us stuck and confused.  We need to own how much harm that has been done and is still happening.  By our ex partners, by the system…

“This is the work of healing. You deny what hurts, what you fear. You avoid it at all costs. Then you find a way to welcome and embrace what you’re most afraid of. And then you can finally let it go

Register here for the parenting workshop! - https://mailchi.mp/risingbeyondpc/parenting

Please leave us a review! Reviews help the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

And if you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

Enjoy some of our freebies!

Register Here for our June 5th Parenting Workshop - https://mailchi.mp/risingbeyondpc/parenting

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
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Show Notes

Victims and survivors of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse minimize their experience through comparison, which prevents you from fully healing.

If you have ever thought “I should just stop complaining or stay quiet,” because someone else’s situation seems so much worse than yours then you need to listen to this episode.  

Or maybe you are constantly thinking, “Why can’t I just get over this?  It wasn’t that big of a deal.” 

Comparing your relationship and abuse to other victims and survivors can completely stunt your healing and growth.

“There is no hierarchy of suffering . . . being a survivor, being a ‘thriver’ requires absolute acceptance of what was and what is. If we discount our pain, or punish ourselves for feeling lost or isolated or scared about the challenges in our lives, however insignificant these challenges may seem to someone else, then we’re still choosing to be victims” (pg 8). Dr. Edith Eger

Some of the ways that I hear survivors comparing themselves to others are:

I didn’t escape, I was discarded.

I was never physically abused/sexually abused.

I don’t have children.

I was able to get a protection order or I wasn’t able to get a protection order.

I haven’t lost my children in family court and other protective parents have.

I am employed and have an education.

I have a supportive family while others do not.

Trauma is relative to you, your situation, your past, you as an individual.

Often we are using comparison to minimize our pain and betrayal.  It can be so daunting and scary to really look at what has happened to us and so when we compare ourselves to someone who has it worse, it is a way to lighten the damage.  But this is doing us a huge disservice.  It is increasing or creating the cognitive dissonance that keeps us stuck and confused.  We need to own how much harm that has been done and is still happening.  By our ex partners, by the system…

“This is the work of healing. You deny what hurts, what you fear. You avoid it at all costs. Then you find a way to welcome and embrace what you’re most afraid of. And then you can finally let it go

Register here for the parenting workshop! - https://mailchi.mp/risingbeyondpc/parenting

Please leave us a review! Reviews help the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

And if you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

Enjoy some of our freebies!

Register Here for our June 5th Parenting Workshop - https://mailchi.mp/risingbeyondpc/parenting

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
Rising Beyond Facebook
...