Episode 149: Am I The Toxic One? Understanding Your Defensive Reactions

Leave a text or voice message so we can respondHave you ever looked back on your relationship and thought, “Was I the problem?” Maybe you manipulated conversations to avoid conflict, withheld things to protect yourself, or even lost your temper—and now you’re questioning if you were just as toxic as your ex.First, let me tell you: You are not alone.In this episode, we’re unpacking:✔️ Why so many survivors of emotional abuse wonder if they were the toxic one✔️ How defensive reactions (not “reactive abuse”) are a survival response, not abuse✔️ The difference between defending yourself vs. being the abuser✔️ Why guilt doesn’t mean you were toxic—it means you have self-awareness✔️ How to stop blaming yourself and start healingIf you’ve ever felt ashamed of how you acted while in an abusive relationship or worried that you passed this dynamic onto your children, this episode will help you see why these reactions happened—and why they don’t define you.Set up your Free Call Today! Support the showReady to stop overthinking your past relationship and start feeling like yourself again?Get Your FREE HEALING BUNDLE www.radiatenrise.com and explore coaching programs, self-paced courses, resources, and tools designed to help you break free from emotional abuse, rumination, and self-doubt.✍🏻 Set up a for a FREE Call and discover what's really keeping you stuck, along with the next steps to help you move forward.📧 Questions? Email: [email protected]💬 Come say hi on Instagram or Facebook:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonkdagney/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonkdagney/Formerly The Emotional Abuse Recovery Podcast