Christine Dillard: Surviving Coercive Control, Gaslighting & Emotional Abuse

Send us Fan MailYou can be the person who commands the boardroom and still feel like you are disappearing at home.In this powerful episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Christine Dillard, author of The Truth She Showed Me, for an honest conversation about surviving coercive control, gaslighting, emotional abuse, and the long journey back to yourself after a 17-year marriage that slowly stripped away her confidence, peace, and sense of reality.Christine shares what nonphysical abuse can look like behind closed doors: the angry outbursts that train you to overcompensate, the sudden “crises” that happen when you try to leave the house, the loss of alone time, and the quiet isolation that can leave a woman exhausted, confused, and questioning herself.We talk about the moment Christine realized what she was living through was not normal, and why leaving an abusive relationship is rarely as simple as walking away. Children, finances, health insurance, custody fears, housing, and safety can all make leaving a careful, complicated process. Christine also speaks to the shame many high-performing women carry in silence — looking strong, capable, and successful in public while privately falling apart.This conversation also explores the way the body often tells the truth before the mind is ready to say it out loud. Insomnia, tight shoulders, racing heart, high blood pressure, chronic stress, and emotional exhaustion can all become signals that something is deeply wrong.Christine offers compassion for women who are still asking, “Is it really that bad?” Her answer is steady and clear: if you are asking the question, there is a reason.This episode is for the woman who looks fine on the outside but knows something inside her is begging to be heard. It is also for the friend, sister, daughter, coworker, or loved one who may need help recognizing the signs.If this conversation brings someone to mind, please share it with them. And if it speaks to you, subscribe, leave a review, and pass Christine’s book along to the person who needs the words.Grab the book:  https://a.co/d/09hZgN94Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14iCRuWPw52/?mibextid=wwXIfrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthsheshowedme?igsh=NHNkM3FvdHFudHl5&utm_source=qrTikTok:  http://www.tiktok.com/@thetruthsheshowedmeYouTube:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfegJXZIx0hrrKg8dwu92A4GEE3beNqCD&si=3r4ifSfbRbD9JDobSpotify:  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vIkMeX4ZO1SI34qsacluE?si=nINeGlg5Qg60uixjInRVRg&pi=jL2qLRERSvmmhIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website