“This is because in the legalistic church, God (or pronounced “Gawd” if you’re in the southern regions of the country) is coming… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“When God becomes a flying monkey to a poisonous religious leader, a vicious mingling of psychological abuse and spiritual abuse congeal. The” — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Survivors are receiving very poor “counseling” from ministry staff and volunteers who have no professional training in mental health. Church leaders cannot… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Facing the truth about those we have loved (e.g., our parents, siblings, a treasured friend, or a spiritual leader) is unbelievably hard,… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Abusive church leadership must minimize God to a puppet that can be moved around at will, and it smells of blasphemy to… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“When toxic church or ministry leaders feel threatened by the truth being revealed, they attack. The perfect target is the messenger of… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“By the time survivors are compelled to leave their psychologically abusive relationships, they do not see any other viable option but to leave. They… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“This is because in the legalistic church, God (or pronounced “Gawd” if you’re in the southern regions of the country) is coming to smite… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“A psychological abuser will find a survivor’s emotional soft spots and exploit them for control and entertainment.” — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Toxic people are great actors. They will utilize whichever props are available to maintain control in the relationship.” — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“If we have a high level of emotional capacity, it predisposes us to stay in abusive environments longer. That is not a great thing.… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“A Sociopath will run you over, scold you for being in their way, and have a smirk because secretly they get entertainment out of… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Toxic people absolutely refuse to have normal human flaws and weaknesses. They do not see themselves as average people.” — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Some people wonder if abusers can feel love or affection for their targets. The answer to that depends on your own definition of love.… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Some are quietly deteriorating the person’s self-esteem through the emotional game of abandonment. Being present physically but checked out emotionally is not a marriage… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Denial is a powerful human component that cannot be ignored in the context of psychological abuse.” — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“Tenderness from empaths will be used against them time and time again by psychological abusers.” — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
“When an abuser gaslights, he or she sets up situations to make the target doubt their own memories and assessments of situations. This is… — Shannon Thomas Copy Share Image
