Last post on the subject of PDs

This is my last post on this subject for a while. I wanted to do the initial research for this novel and then let it rest while I worked on other much neglected projects. I’m pleased with the information I now have and how this fits within the character framework of the intended novel.

PDs are expert in making you doubt yourself and the abuse. This self-doubt leads you to mistrust your own instincts and interpretation of events. One of the techniques used is Gaslighting, where constant emotional invalidation become the norm. It is a technique abusers use to convince you that your perception of the abuse is inaccurate, where false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt their own memory, perception and sanity and to think the abuse is indeed their own fault or that it never even took place.

On a previous post I touched briefly on what happens to some people who are victims of smear campaigns:

• They may become alienated from their family and friends.
• They lose contact with their children for months or even years.
• They may lose their jobs.
• They may spend tens of thousands of dollars or more fighting false accusations of the BP attacking them.
• They may have restraining orders placed upon them based upon false accusations.
• They may end up in jail or prison due to false accusations.
• They may develop severe mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and others.
• Some may commit suicide.

I am grateful to those who have contacted me privately with anecdotal accounts of their own abuse and the impact this has had on a deeper, personal level. There are many similarities in these stories, which tell of:

• Living in a state of constant stress and anxiety (even during periods of inaction by the smear campaigner)
• Ongoing depression and a sense of hopelessness.
• A loss of  trust in others.
• Becoming emotionally crippled.
• A loss of sense of self and their place in the world.
• Debilitating low self esteem.
• Lack of self confidence.
• Experience of social isolation, and feelings of alienation and social isolation.
• Fear.
• Loss of reputation.
• Hyper-vigilance(on constant alert).
• Feeling jumpy and easily startled.

Many touched upon what the PD in their situation failed to realize, that if their aim had been to ruin the victim’s life through extreme ‘punishing’ or ‘pay back’, this had been achieved, and even a cessation of the smear campaign and other threatening behaviour would never restore the victim to their former state of well-being or anything close to this. 

For many, the damage done had been absolute.

If you or someone you know is experiencing these or other mental health issues, support is available at:

Mind Health Connect

At Ease

Beyond Blue

Head Space