VIDEO

Surviving Stalking

This is my story. I created this to share my story with others and help others who are experiencing it move forward.

At the end of 2021, I made the difficult decision to end a friendship.

There was no dramatic argument. No major confrontation. No single event that marked the end.

There was simply an ongoing heaviness that I experienced whenever I interacted with this person, along with patterns of behavior that I found deeply concerning. I also recognized that the friendship itself was no longer healthy or supportive for me.

I attempted to have a conversation about what I was experiencing. Unfortunately, that conversation did not lead to understanding or resolution. At some point, I realized that I could not continue trying to convince someone to understand my experience when they were not willing to hear it.

So, I chose to step away.

I believed I was making a healthy decision for myself.

What followed was something I never could have anticipated.

The video is a conversation about stalking with myself, alongside colleagues Tanya Dawson and Tamanique Byrd. They speak openly about the mental health impact of cyberstalking – from constant fear and anxiety to trust issues and sleep loss – and offer expert coping strategies.

Listeners will learn practical tips (digital safety, safety planning, therapy) and find hope in stories of resilience. The panel emphasizes that no one deserves to live in fear and encourages survivors to seek help.

Educational Resources

If you are looking to learn more about stalking, narcissistic abuse, coercive control, or survivor healing, the following resources may be helpful.

Stalking Awareness & Safety

SPARC — Stalking Prevention, Awareness & Resource Center
Stalking Prevention, Awareness & Resource Center

https://www.stalkingawareness.org/

Stalking Awareness
Stalking Awareness resources

https://linktr.ee/stalkingawareness

Survivor Education & Advocacy

Synthia Smith — @synful
Synthia Smith on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/synful/

When Love Is a Lie
When Love Is a Lie on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/whenloveisalie/

Claire Auden
Claire Auden on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/claire_auden_/

Shade Arabi — The Self Care Warrior
The Self Care Warrior on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/selfcarewarrior/

Dr. Peter Salerno
Dr. Peter Salerno on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/drpetersalerno/

Learning About Narcissism

We have also found value in learning from individuals who discuss narcissism from different perspectives, including people who identify as having narcissistic traits or as having experienced narcissistic patterns themselves.

Lee Hammock — Mental Healness / The Narcissist Code
The Narcissist Code on YouTube

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhrGyHjJt5bTybCXCKfnS7cmXaw_b5ei1

Dr. Ramani — Navigating Narcissism
Navigating Narcissism with Dr. Ramani

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-narcissism-with-dr-ramani/id1629909313

Dr. Cochiola — Perfect Prey: A Coercive Control Podcast
Perfect Prey: A Coercive Control Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perfect-prey-a-coercive-control-podcast/id1704962170

Dr. Natalie — A Date With Darkness
A Date With Darkness Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-date-with-darkness-podcast/id1271234927

A Date With Darkness on YouTube

https://youtube.com/@adatewithdarkness

Therapy & Healing

For those considering therapy while healing from narcissistic abuse or other forms of interpersonal trauma, it can be helpful to ask potential providers about their experience working with survivors.

Consider asking:

Have you worked with survivors of narcissistic abuse or coercive control?
What experience do you have treating trauma related to interpersonal abuse?
What approaches do you use when working with survivors?
Is this type of treatment within your current scope of practice and area of expertise?

EMDR International Association — Find an EMDR Therapist
Find an EMDR Therapist

https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/

Podcasts & Additional Resources

Some additional resources we have found meaningful throughout our healing journey include:

The Homecoming Podcast with Dr. Thema Bryant
Mindful with Minna
The Covert Narcissism Podcast
Black Girls Heal
Deeply Well with Devi Brown
Therapy for Black Girls
The Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff

Books

All About Love — bell hooks
When Things Fall Apart — Pema Chödrön
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
If I’d Known — Chelsey Brooke Cole
Mother Hunger — Kelly McDaniel

Please remember: Educational resources are not a substitute for individualized mental health, legal, or safety advice. If you are experiencing stalking, threats, harassment, or concerns about your immediate safety, consider contacting appropriate local professionals and support services.

You deserve safety. You deserve support. And you deserve to heal.