The Rising Beyond Podcast
Are you ready to thrive as you are coming out of a toxic or abusive relationship? Join Sybil Cummin, a licensed professional counselor who has specialized in working with victims and survivors of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse for over a decade and runs a membership community for women on their healing journey. On this podcast you will finally feel understood and your experience will be validated as you learn tangible strategies to handle family court, coparent with your abuser, improve your connection with your children, and heal from the trauma of narcissistic abuse and domestic violence.
The Rising Beyond Podcast
Ep 50: How Narcissistic Abuse Leads to Moral Injury
If you have tried all of the trauma treatments and still feel stuck as you heal from domestic violence or narcissistic abuse, then moral injury may be to blame.
Moral injury refers to the psychological, emotional, behavioral and spiritual distress you feel after exposure to a situation where you feel like you have violated your conscience or moral compass when you take part in, witness, or fail to prevent an act that goes against your own morals, values or personal principles. It is often when you are told to act by someone who has authority or power over you.
Moral injury may look similar to PTSD with symptoms of extreme shame and guilt, loss of faith in humanity, issues with trust, loss of self-worth and identity, and extreme levels of cognitive dissonance. You may find yourself withdrawing from others, using self-destructive behaviors, avoiding triggers and questioning your values and morals.
The difference between PTSD and Moral injury is that PTSD comes from an experience when you are in a dangerous situation and have the risk of bodily harm or death. Moral injury comes from the experience of acting against your morals or values either at the direction of someone else or by your own choice.
One example of how this shows up in survivors experiencing post-separation abuse and the family court system is being ordered to send your children to their other parent’s house knowing that they may be abused by that parent. And still, you are required to do so.
While this is a newer psychological experience that is being researched and there are not a lot of evidence-based modalities researched, specifically with survivors of relationship abuse, there are some things you can do to start the healing process.
- Self-reflection and acknowledgment of the situation
- Identifying values and morals
- Increasing your support network including professional mental health care
- Deconstructing the narrative and labels you place on yourself due to the situation
- Self-compassion and forgiveness work
Rising Beyond Podcast Episode - To Forgive Or Not To Forgive
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