27. Beyond Coercive Control: To My Parents- You Loved Me Through It

"You weren't silent because you approved. You were silent because you loved me." Walking into a small entryway. Physically and emotionally exhausted. Carrying bags, holding onto dogs, trying to hold onto the kids. Trying to hold onto myself. And you just… made room for us. In this episode I write a letter to my parents. To the people who loved me through something they couldn't fully see. Who stayed available even when they didn't know what to say. Who watched me go back again and again and kept the door open anyway. Tuesday phone calls on a landline. Lawyers who couldn't help. Missed holidays that slowly became normal. A magic wand no one could wave. And a voice in the background saying three words that changed everything. This episode is for every survivor who never found the words to tell their family what those years cost them. For every parent who watched their child disappear and didn't know whether speaking up would help or make things worse. For the child waiting to hear the door is still open. For the parent waiting for them to walk back through it. And for every survivor whose family wasn't there at all, this episode holds space for you too. Coercive control doesn't just affect the person living inside it. It spreads outward quietly. Into families. Into silence. Into the way everyone around it learns to survive too. Love doesn't always look the way we expect it to. Sometimes it looks like a door that stayed open. Send us Fan Mail The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance. The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health. The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only. For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.