Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance

Healing from an Abusive Relationship with a Disordered Personality

De: Peter Salerno PsyD

Narrado por: Peter Salerno

If you’re in or have been in a relationship with a pathological personality yet somehow ended up believing that everything bad was your fault, you’re not alone. That’s the super-power of disordered personalities: making their victims believe they are in the wrong even when they’re not.

Being on the receiving end of chronic but often subtle abuse can be brutal. The result of this dizzying and disorienting up-is-down maelstrom manifested by the pathological personality in your life results in Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance (TCD). This occurs when covert manipulation and other forms of deceit and coercion are experienced on an ongoing basis. TCD represents complex trauma that goes far beyond typical trauma and stress-related symptoms.

But there is help. And knowledge is where it starts. Rest assured that what you have been searching for to make sense of your debilitating situation and to recover once and for all from pathological relationship abuse is right here, between the pages of this book.

Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance, when understood, can be overcome. And that’s what this book is for—for you to gain the tools and information so that you’ll be able to reunite with your true sense of self and to move forward in your life with a renewed sense of joy. After all you’ve been through, you deserve it.

©2025 Peter Salerno (P)2025 Peter Salerno

Incredible information and healing

Extremely educational, scientifically based description of predatory, destructive people and their impacts on other people. This is a compassionate, ACTUALLY helpful discussion of the fact based devastation left behind after encounters with personality disordered individuals or groups. It concisely lists and describes multiple, proven effective methods of treatment for recovery and a pathway towards healing. Thank you Dr Salerno, for this work and time, your kind heart, and unusual mind. For neurodivergent brain types, information and logical, rational understanding of how the body and mind operate are very validating. Dr Salerno has a calm and clear speaking manner which is easy to absorb.

The Shift I needed!

I’ve read a lot of literature on personality disorders and how to recover from abuse inflicted by these disordered individuals. This was by far the most helpful of the lot. I would highly recommend this book. Dr Salerno’s insights and advice helped me overcome the self doubt and the lingering cognitive dissonance I have been trying to shift. Thank you Doctor!

Reality check

Insightful and reaffirming. Excellent points backed with scientific deductions . But It misses a very important fact , some of us will never be truly OK - due to factors not of our own making , especially later in life when future opportunities have narrowed . Regardless of when or if , our severely alienated children make their way back to the targeted parent , neither can get back the missed life experiences stolen by intentional lies: the engagements , weddings , babies , family vacations .. all gone forever with the passage of time . Love can remain , but trust can never be won back . The very core expectations of what would had made your life have value and joy have passed over you . Even with the best self esteem , life has been stolen from you — there will never be an Ok .

Finally! Validation and education.

No one has ever spoken about this kind of abuse in the way that Dr. Salerno does in this book. It is pretty lonely as a survivor, I rarely have come across anyone who understands what that kind of abuse does to a person. This book helps me feel understood and validated - and it’s possible I have a little feeling of hope for the first time in forever!Research, stories, and education, including actions we can take right now and exercises to learn more about ourselves. I just finished the book and am going to listen to it again.

fan freaking tastic this book is a 100%. must listen.

Yes, finally an intelligent book was written with current and accurate information. Loved everything about this. there is so much new information out there that the other books are neglecting to utilize and this book has it. fantastic book. highly recommend this if you have dealt with a narcissistically personality person, no matter where they fall on the Spectrum from psychopathy to sociopathy to antisocial to the dark triad to malignant. this is the book you need to listen to.