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Love, Lies, and Losing Myself in an Illusion

Love, Lies, and Losing Myself in an Illusion

Update: 2025-10-22
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In this week’s episode, I share the deeply personal story of a relationship that broke me but ultimately led me back to myself.

At first, it seemed too good to be true—and it was. Over time, I lost myself in the illusion as love bombing, gaslighting, and emotional manipulation distanced me from my inner knowing, distorted my sense of reality, and left me unraveling a web of unbelievable truths that felt more like a Netflix docuseries than my own life. 

If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar dynamic, I hope my story helps you see your own experience with more clarity and compassion. Too many of us have experienced manipulation masquerading as love. You are not alone, and it is not your fault.

Next week, I’ll unpack what this experience taught me about intuition, somatic memory, trauma bonds, and the unconscious drivers that keep us trapped in familiar, yet painful patterns.


Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Explore 1:1 coaching.

Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

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Love, Lies, and Losing Myself in an Illusion

Love, Lies, and Losing Myself in an Illusion

Lena Papadopoulos