Send us a text

Do you beat yourself up with the thought, “I should’ve left sooner”? Survivors of emotional abuse often live with deep regret, believing they wasted years or failed themselves and their children by staying too long. But here’s the truth: you couldn’t have left any earlier—because your brain and nervous system were working to keep you alive.

In this episode of Be A Better You Podcast, host and subconscious reprogramming expert Allison K. Dagney explains the real science behind why leaving abuse is so hard. You’ll learn how survival responses like freeze and fawn keep you feeling stuck, how trauma bonding rewires the brain with powerful chemical loops of fear and relief, and why your nervous system literally made it feel impossible to leave before you did.

Through relatable examples and trauma-informed insights, Allison shows you how to reframe this painful belief and honor the strength it took to leave when you finally could. Instead of seeing wasted years, you’ll learn to see survival, resilience, and wisdom.

If you’ve ever searched: why didn’t I leave sooner, why I stayed in an abusive relationship, how to forgive myself for staying, why leaving abuse is so hard, or stuck in trauma bond, this episode will give you clarity and peace.

Support the show

To learn more about my Programs visit the website
www.radiatenrise.com

Email: Allison@radiatenrise.com

Free 30 Min Root Cause Call

Join Radiate and Rise Together - Survivor Healing Community for Women

To send a DM, visit Allison's profiles on
Instagram and Facebook
https://www.instagram.com/allisonkdagney/
https://www.facebook.com/allisonkdagney/


*Formerly (The Emotional Abuse Recovery Podcast)

Send us a text

Do you replay your past and think, “I should’ve known better”? Survivors of emotional abuse often torture themselves with regret, believing they failed by not recognizing the truth sooner. But here’s the reality: you couldn’t have known better at the time—because abuse clouds judgment, rewires the brain, and makes survival feel safer than clarity.

In this episode of Be A Better You Podcast, host and subconscious reprogramming expert Allison K. Dagney explains why survivors carry the heavy burden of “I should’ve known better,” and why that belief is deeply unfair. You’ll learn how your brain and nervous system protect you in abusive situations, why trauma bonding and manipulation make “knowing better” impossible in the moment, and how to finally release the guilt that keeps you stuck.

Through relatable examples, trauma-informed insights, and powerful reframes, you’ll discover how to replace shame with compassion—and see your survival not as a failure, but as proof of your strength.

If you’ve ever searched for: why didn’t I know he was abusive, how to forgive myself for staying, how to stop blaming myself after abuse, or why I ignored the red flags, this episode will bring you the relief and perspective you need.

Support the show

To learn more about my Programs visit the website
www.radiatenrise.com

Email: Allison@radiatenrise.com

Free 30 Min Root Cause Call

Join Radiate and Rise Together - Survivor Healing Community for Women

To send a DM, visit Allison's profiles on
Instagram and Facebook
https://www.instagram.com/allisonkdagney/
https://www.facebook.com/allisonkdagney/


*Formerly (The Emotional Abuse Recovery Podcast)

Send us a text

Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “I should’ve seen the signs of abuse”? If you’ve been replaying your past and blaming yourself for not noticing the red flags, this episode will bring you relief and clarity. The truth is, you couldn’t have known—because abusers hide the warning signs on purpose.

In this episode of Be A Better You Podcast, host and subconscious reprogramming expert Allison K. Dagney explains why survivors of emotional abuse aren’t meant to spot the red flags early, how abusers use love bombing and manipulation to keep you from recognizing the truth, and why your kindness, trust, and hope are not flaws—they were exploited.

You’ll hear trauma-informed insights, relatable real-life examples, and powerful mindset shifts to help you release the shame and stop asking yourself “why didn’t I know better?” Instead, you’ll learn how to reframe the belief that you missed the signs and start rebuilding trust in yourself.

If you’ve ever Googled: how to stop blaming myself for abuse, why I didn’t see the red flags, signs of emotional abuse I missed, why I stayed so long, or he seemed so perfect at first, this episode is for you.

Support the show

To learn more about my Programs visit the website
www.radiatenrise.com

Email: Allison@radiatenrise.com

Free 30 Min Root Cause Call

Join Radiate and Rise Together - Survivor Healing Community for Women

To send a DM, visit Allison's profiles on
Instagram and Facebook
https://www.instagram.com/allisonkdagney/
https://www.facebook.com/allisonkdagney/


*Formerly (The Emotional Abuse Recovery Podcast)