The comment: “mental illness is infectious” at 1:12:45 hits so hard… our society has no idea of the extent of damage …

People who judge people who stayed in abusive relationship need to watch this

100% reason it took so long to leave was that maternal-child bond. I felt like I was betraying my child ( but is a grown man actually).

He told me exactly this: You don’t exist!
Prof. Vaknin your words are priceless, thank you

An amazing genius.

It took me 8 years to figure out the discard phase. I’ve been discarded time and time again.

Yes I learnt that the future was never going to happen even when we had the time to do those things. You keep hanging on thinking things will change over time. The strong bonds and beautiful memories were in me not us therefore I take my ability with me and don't leave it behind. This is encouraging to me and I've gained back some of what I lost. I thought that I would never find someone like him which was initially a sad thing and then a wonderful thing!

So much poetry in your words too. “An island of stability, an ocean of chaos“ ❤

Thank you Sam for the free knowledge. No one explains it quite like you do! 💪💪

Thank you! The first step is understanding that the co-dependent is not crazy by thinking the abuse is fake. Thank you Dr. Vaknin ❤

1000%correct dear Mr. Vaknin 😢

Everything in this video is 100 percent accurate and I wish there was more awareness. I credit Prof Vaknin with helping me understand what I was enduring. (my therapist recommended his content )

I was grilled in a divorce trial by my ex’s lawyer as to why I stayed .My ex husband cheated on me with an 18 year old and he Was 40, stole money, was psychically abusive , addicted to alcohol and p—-n and all of which of which was slowly revealed after we were married and after the separation ,worsened when we had a child. He told me after we had a child that “having a family wasn’t for him” first I heard of that after a year or trying for a child but he wasn’t always that way.

I was with only him from age 16, married at 22, separated at 39 & divorced at 43and there are some days where a still cannot believe how this all happened.

Love ur videos. I left after nearly 3 years. I still hear his voice, he still comes into my nightmares and not in a nice way. I am nearly 1 year out, having a bit of a regress in my feelings and emotions, its strange as u think when u are out, its only up. But it still affects me in waves

Thank you so much for this podcast and Mr. Sam vaknin sir.and the podcaster.

around minutes 4:00 Yes!! exactly, I invested so much energy, grief and heartache in that thing called a relationship. I didn`t wanna abandon it so lightly. 7 and a half years. My word! Life lost!!! People go and say, well at least it made me who I am now.. NO!! Nearly eight years of my life gone and I would like to delete them!!  This person fucked with my mind, and the waves of that I still feel today!  I live my live now with many things in the back of my head and somebody pure, like most of people actually, I am aware of deception, I`m allergic to lies! Completely!! Now you know, Internet!

Masterful. Thank you for your service.

My psychologist told me that I should "just leave."
She doesn't understand the dynamic at all.

Love you dr. Vaknin

Another good one! Thank you!

this is the first time I recall you talk about disrupting the devaluation. Maybe you have  and I missed it. There is a lot of detail. Very interesting. Especially for those who have also experienced it until the end of what you describe always happens, the discard. I find it amazing how all this works and that it can even be explained, like one explains science almost.