Many women believe that if they are loved well enough, they will finally feel secure, whole, and at peace.

But here's the hard truth: love doesn't heal self-abandonment—it reveals it.

In this episode, Dr. Zoe explores why self-abandonment forms, how it shows up in romantic relationships, and why expecting love to fix it quietly sabotages intimacy. This conversation is compassionate, direct, and deeply hopeful, especially if you've ever felt loved yet still unseen, exhausted, or emotionally alone.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why self-abandonment is a learned survival strategy—not a character flaw
• How love activates self-abandonment rather than curing it
• The hidden ways self-abandonment disguises itself as being "easy," "loyal," or "low maintenance"
• How Complex Shame convinces women their needs are the problem
• Why expecting love to heal you turns relationships into emotional labor
• How your romantic patterns often mirror how you treat yourself
• What it actually means to choose yourself without blowing up your relationship
• Why healing self-abandonment requires grief—not just insight
• How small acts of self-return change the way love feels
• The hope: why self-abandonment can be unlearned—and how love becomes safer when you stop disappearing

A Gentle Reminder

You don't heal self-abandonment so someone will finally choose you.
You heal it so you stop leaving yourself—even when love gets hard.

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you staying quiet, flexible, or agreeable at the expense of your truth—and calling it love?

Resources & Next Steps:

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Free Downloads:

Download the Steps to Healing from Complex Shame™ PDF: here
Get the First Chapter of Stronger in the Difficult Places: here

If this episode spoke to you, please share it with a friend who needs hope in their relationships. And don't forget to subscribe to Stronger in the Difficult Places so you never miss an episode.