Escape the Paradox
Covering: Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma | PTSD | C-PTSD | Trauma Recovery | Emotional and Psychological Abuse
Welcome to Escape the Paradox, where I expose the hidden reality of coercive control and domestic violence including psychological, emotional and physical abuse.
I’m Helena, a survivor of childhood abuse. I'm a mental health nursing student and advocate, here to support you in breaking free from the confusion, fear, and isolation that abuse creates.
Home should be the safest place, but for many, it becomes the most dangerous.
In each episode, I share my personal story and dive into my own experiences, as well as survivor experiences, trauma-informed insights, and expert research to help you understand the mechanisms of abuse and begin your healing journey.
We’ll explore tactics such as gaslighting, and how abusers wield and seek power and control, not to diagnose, but because naming abuse is the first step in reclaiming your reality.
If you're ready to reconnect with your truth and rebuild your self-worth through clarity and understanding, you’re in the right place.
Follow Escape the Paradox on Threads, Instagram, and TikTok: @escapetheparadox.
Episodes
16 episodes
Bonus! Poem by Helena Hickman - "Restoration"
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaThis bonus episode shares a poem I wrote on self-worth, confronting reality, and the work of restoring the mind ...
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1:49
Challenge Negative Thoughts about your Worth | During and After Coercive Control, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Childhood Trauma
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaI think you are worth the effort of healing. Worthlessness speaks in absol...
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Episode 12
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24:18
Choosing a Therapist or Counsellor | During and After Coercive Control, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Childhood Trauma
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaFinding the right therapist or counsellor can feel overwhelming, especially after experiencing abuse or trauma (...
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Episode 11
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16:42
Smear Campaigns | What They Are, How to Spot Them, and How to Cope
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaWhen you leave an abusive relationship, especially one marked by coercive control, it’s not uncommon for the abu...
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26:00
Feelings of Guilt After Leaving Abusive, Coercive Relationships
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma"I feel guilty" If you’ve escaped coercive control or domestic violence, you’re probably no s...
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Episode 10
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21:23
Using Children as Tools of Control in Relationships & Guest Kalesha Shares her Story
In this episode, I am joined by Kalesha, who bravely shares her personal story of surviving domestic abuse, and the current healing journey she is on. Together, we explore how children are often used as tools of manipulation and control in abus...
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Episode 10
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40:06
Male Privilege and Entitlement within Coercive Control, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Relationships
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaIn this episode, I’m talking about how male privilege is used as a tool for control in abusive relationships. Th...
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Episode 9
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24:28
Gaslighting (Minimizing, Denying, Blaming) in Coercive Control, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Relationships – Part 2: Continuing My Exploration of Manipulation in my Father’s Correspondence
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaIn this episode, I continue analyzing past correspondence between myself and the abuser, focusing on the tactics...
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Episode 8
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43:34
Gaslighting (Minimizing, Denying, Blaming) in Coercive Control, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Relationships – Part 1: My Exploration of Manipulation in my Father’s Correspondence
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaIn this episode, I explore a message I wrote to my father in 2023, and take you through his response with me. It...
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Episode 7
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35:39
Isolation in Relationships: Understanding Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Coercive Control
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after TraumaIsolation is one of the most powerful tools of coercive control, and it goes far beyond just cutting ...
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Episode 6
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26:57
Emotional and Psychological Abuse – Part 2: Impact of Emotional and Psychological Abuse on the Target within Relationships
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma Emotional abuse doesn’t just wound in the moment—it rewires the way we see ourselves. Over time, the in...
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Episode 5
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24:53
Emotional and Psychological Abuse – Part 1: Understanding Coercive Control and Domestic Violence in Relationships
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma Emotional abuse leaves no visible scars, but its impact runs deep. In this episode of E...
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Episode 4
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29:38
Intimidation in Relationships: Understanding Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Coercive Control
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma In this episode, I delve into the element of intimidation in abusive relationships and how it oppresses...
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Episode 3
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28:10
Coercion and Threats in Relationships: Understanding Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Coercive Control
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma In this episode of Escape the Paradox, let's delve into the "Coercion and Threats" section of ...
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Episode 2
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31:27
Abuse is Abuse: Why Labels Don't Help (even if they are a psychopath or narcissist)
Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma In this very first episode of Escape the Paradox, I explore a common misconception: the idea that labelin...
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Episode 1
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22:19