How to Love Without Losing Yourself
Somewhere along the way, you started believing that to love fully, you had to lose yourself.
“To start the healing process after a narcissistic relationship, learn to be kind and supportive to yourself.”
Little by little, your self-worth is eroded. You’re conditioned to believe that your needs are “too much,” your feelings are “wrong,” and your intuition can’t be trusted.
So you begin to silence yourself. Diminish yourself. Forget how to care for yourself.
But here’s what no one tells you:
The narcissist needed you to abandon yourself. That’s how they maintained control.
That’s how the abuse continued.
You didn’t just unlearn trust—you unlearned kindness.
Now, as you step out of that storm, healing begins not in perfection, but in compassion.
Not in being “over it,” but in finally being with yourself.
What if your healing begins with the smallest gesture?
• Saying no when it matters.
• Letting yourself rest without guilt.
• Speaking to yourself like someone you deeply love.
Self-kindness isn’t a luxury—it’s your new foundation.
It’s how you reintroduce safety, peace, and power into your life.
It’s how you become your own safe haven.
You are not what was said to you.
You are not how you were treated.
You are not what you had to tolerate.
You are healing.
You are becoming whole again.
You are worthy of love—and it starts with you.
Sue Leppan is a life, transformation and holistic wellness coach based in Sandbaai, Hermanus. Providing therapy for a range of challenges, Sue specialises in targeting and dealing with emotional trauma, self-doubt, depression, stagnation and self-centring. Whether you need help with personal issues ...
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