13. Loss is Inevitable

Loss is part of life, but more importantly it is a part of any toxic relationship.  Whether it is the loss of others or the loss of self, loss is almost a guarantee in and around toxic behaviors.  We always lose a part of ourselves when we are around someone with little empathy.  People who fall on the toxic spectrum have little empathy and are generally focused on getting their needs met before anything else and with little regard to others.  A big part of loss is that the fear of it can keep us stuck in toxic, unhealthy relationships.  The fear of loss itself is the very thing that traps us.  The fear becomes so great that we subtly begin to overlook lots of things that we would normally run from. But the other part of loss is gain.  What we gain when we face loss, let go of what we no longer need and free ourselves of the fear of loss cannot be measured.  We not only regain ourselves, but we become stronger and our life has more meaning.  This episode focuses on the stages of loss and how to progress through them when the loss is connected to a toxic relationship.