Send us a text

What happens after you've escaped abuse? When survival is no longer your only focus, how do you rediscover joy and truly come home to yourself? This deeply personal episode explores the challenging journey from merely existing to feeling alive again.

The path back to yourself isn't linear, but it follows recognizable patterns that can guide your healing journey. Through honest reflection on my own experiences, I share seven practical steps that helped me reconnect with my authentic self after domestic violence. From the surprising power of nature walks to the unexpected healing that came from a tequila and twerk class, this episode reveals how seemingly small steps can create profound transformation.

We explore the critical importance of honoring your intuition after years of being told what to think and feel. You'll discover practical techniques for quieting the mental noise that keeps you stuck, moving your body to release stored trauma, and identifying the activities that bring you into a flow state. Most importantly, you'll learn how finding community with other survivors can lift the invisible burden of shame and isolation.

The journey from victim to survivor to thriver involves countless pivots—each one bringing you closer to the person you're meant to be. Each time you follow what feels right, you reclaim pieces of yourself that abuse tried to steal. Whether you're just beginning your healing journey or you've been walking this path for years, remember that everything you need to heal already exists within you. You deserve not just to survive, but to experience genuine joy, connection, and purpose.

Join our survivor community by connecting through the Facebook group linked in the show notes. Your healing journey matters, and you don't have to walk it alone.

Join the Sisterhood! www.thesurvivorsisterhood.com

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 OR text begin to 88788

Come join our community of survivors who are looking to meet someone just like you! See the behind the scenes work that goes into the sisterhood non-profit business, discuss DTS episodes, and of course find your survivor sister.

Give me a follow on IG: @thedvsurvivorsisterhood
or on TikTok: @thedvsurvivor

Ready to share your story? Send me an email with the main talking points of your experience and I'll reach out to book an interview.

dismissedtruestories@thesurvivorsisterhood.com

Give DTS a 5 star rating! It helps this podcast reach other victims and survivors who NEED these stories! Help us find each other, help us heal, and help us find safety. Love you, mean it.

Send us a text

Imagine waking up one day to find yourself trapped in a relationship that looked like love but secretly stripped away your safety, autonomy, and nearly your identity. This is Farah's story - a journey through BDSM, polyamory, and cult-like control that will leave you breathless.

When Farah first met her daughter's father, she was exploring her submissive side. His charisma and intelligence mirrored her own spiritual interests, and he even helped her get a restraining order against a previous abuser - positioning himself as her protector. This carefully crafted safety was the perfect trap. Soon, Farah found herself living with multiple "sister wives" in a household where one man controlled everything, from their daily activities to their very thoughts.

The psychological manipulation was relentless. Even the smallest disagreements became ammunition against her. "If you told him 'that's dark blue,' he'd say 'it looks more like navy blue to me' and somehow make you feel crazy for having an opinion," Farah explains. This constant undermining left her questioning her worth, believing she might be broken beyond repair.

Farah's awakening began unexpectedly - meditating in her backyard, reconnecting with nature, and literally talking to birds. Through identifying her cardinal values (loyalty, respect, integrity, safety, and security) and questioning the negative thoughts that had been planted in her mind, she slowly reclaimed her power. The most powerful revelation? "We are not broken," she emphasizes. "We're just rearranging the pieces and making art out of the mess."

This conversation goes beyond survival stories to decode what healing really looks like - not just the breakthroughs, but the quiet moments when you realize your body finally feels calm and safe again. Farah and Elissa explore how many mistake constant activity for healing, when sometimes it's just your feet in the grass with the sun on your face.

Ready to reclaim your power? Learn how anger can be the doorway to clarity and action when channeled productively. As Farah says, "Imagine their face when they realize they didn't break you." Because they didn't. And they never will.

Follow Farah on Insta:

@Farahsfitnessfactory

Follow Alex on TikTok and Insta:

@narcsurvivoradvocate

Join the Sisterhood! www.thesurvivorsisterhood.com

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 OR text begin to 88788

Come join our community of survivors who are looking to meet someone just like you! See the behind the scenes work that goes into the sisterhood non-profit business, discuss DTS episodes, and of course find your survivor sister.

Give me a follow on IG: @thedvsurvivorsisterhood
or on TikTok: @thedvsurvivor

Ready to share your story? Send me an email with the main talking points of your experience and I'll reach out to book an interview.

dismissedtruestories@thesurvivorsisterhood.com

Give DTS a 5 star rating! It helps this podcast reach other victims and survivors who NEED these stories! Help us find each other, help us heal, and help us find safety. Love you, mean it.

Send us a text

"You don't need to see the whole path. Just take the next step." -Unknown

"It took me 34 years to feel safe within my home." These words from Farah stopped me in my tracks as we recorded this powerful conversation about survival, recognition, and healing after lifelong abuse.

This episode follows Farah's journey from a childhood marked by severe physical violence through two abusive relationships that left her questioning her worth and identity. With remarkable candor, she shares how she initially failed to recognize her experiences as abuse until a friend asked just the right questions and she began reading about narcissistic relationships. "The floodgates kind of just opened up," she explains, detailing that moment of clarity when she finally saw her past through unclouded eyes.

What makes Farah's story extraordinary isn't just what she survived, but her unwavering spirit through it all. Even as a child facing brutal corporal punishment, she refused to stay silent. Her siblings nicknamed her "Kunta" (from Roots) for her refusal to submit to mistreatment. That same fighting spirit eventually helped her create boundaries, make difficult choices, and finally establish a safe home for herself and her children.

Throughout our conversation, Farah offers profound insights into what healing actually looks like day-to-day. "Healing is a lifestyle," she emphasizes, sharing her practices for nervous system regulation, learning to be still, and checking in with her body after years of disconnection. For anyone who has experienced trauma, her wisdom about giving yourself permission to feel everything – including the uncomfortable emotions – provides a roadmap for authentic recovery.

This episode contains detailed descriptions of physical abuse that may be triggering for some listeners. Please prioritize your wellbeing while listening. Join us next week for part two, where we'll explore Farah's experience in a controlling BDSM and poly relationship with cult-like dynamics, and how she ultimately found her way back to herself.

Follow Farah on Instagram!

@farahsfitnessfactory

Join the Sisterhood! www.thesurvivorsisterhood.com

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 OR text begin to 88788

Come join our community of survivors who are looking to meet someone just like you! See the behind the scenes work that goes into the sisterhood non-profit business, discuss DTS episodes, and of course find your survivor sister.

Give me a follow on IG: @thedvsurvivorsisterhood
or on TikTok: @thedvsurvivor

Ready to share your story? Send me an email with the main talking points of your experience and I'll reach out to book an interview.

dismissedtruestories@thesurvivorsisterhood.com

Give DTS a 5 star rating! It helps this podcast reach other victims and survivors who NEED these stories! Help us find each other, help us heal, and help us find safety. Love you, mean it.