Covering: Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma | PTSD | C-PTSD | Trauma Recovery | Emotional and Psychological Abuse
Welcome to Escape the Paradox, where I expose the hidden reality of coercive control and domestic violence including psychological, emotional and physical abuse.
I’m Helena, a survivor of childhood abuse. I'm a mental health nursing student and advocate, here to support you in breaking free from the confusion, fear, and isolation that abuse creates.
Home should be the safest place, but for many, it becomes the most dangerous.
In each episode, I share my personal story and dive into my own experiences, as well as survivor experiences, trauma-informed insights, and expert research to help you understand the mechanisms of abuse and begin your healing journey.
We’ll explore tactics such as gaslighting, and how abusers wield and seek power and control, not to diagnose, but because naming abuse is the first step in reclaiming your reality.
If you're ready to reconnect with your truth and rebuild your self-worth through clarity and understanding, you’re in the right place.
Follow Escape the Paradox on Threads, Instagram, and TikTok: @escapetheparadox.
Send us Fan Mail Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma This will be a two-part episode on Psychopathy. I have used a lot of research on this episode, so this isn't as juicy as you might be hoping! It's very technical and focuses on the diagnostic criteria from a forensic psychiatry perspective. Hopefully you won't find it too boring. References (Mis)understanding Psychopathy: Consequences for Policy and Practice ...
22 Dec 2025
Borderline Personality Disorder - Diagnosis, Women, and Trauma
Send us a text Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma I think you are worth the effort of healing. In this (long) episode, I examine the diagnostic criteria of Borderline Personality Disorder, focusing on how the diagnosis is disproportionately applied to women and deeply intertwined with histories of trauma. It explores how trauma responses are often pathologized, the gendered assumptions embedded in diagnos...
12 Sept 2025
Bonus! Poem by Helena Hickman - "Restoration"
Send us a text Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma This bonus episode shares a poem I wrote on self-worth, confronting reality, and the work of restoring the mind from broken parts. Welcome to Escape the Paradox, a podcast dedicated to exposing and exploring the truth about coercive control, emotional abuse, and the long-term trauma caused by abusive relationships. Whether it's childhood abuse from a par...
12 Sept 2025
Challenge Negative Thoughts about your Worth | During and After Coercive Control, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Childhood Trauma
Send us a text Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma I think you are worth the effort of healing. Worthlessness speaks in absolutes, but that doesn’t make it true. In this episode, I explore what happens when you stop taking the voice at face value and begin challenging the thoughts that try to define you. This episode isn’t about strategies to overcome negative thoughts. It’s about acknowledging...
5 Aug 2025
Choosing a Therapist or Counsellor | During and After Coercive Control, Abuse, Domestic Violence, Childhood Trauma
Send us a text Coercive Control | Domestic Violence | Childhood Trauma | Childhood Abuse | Healing after Abuse | Healing after Trauma Finding the right therapist or counsellor can feel overwhelming, especially after experiencing abuse or trauma (or maybe while you're still experiencing it). In this episode, I share practical tips for choosing a professional who truly understands coercive control and can support your healing journey. Welcome to Escape the Paradox, a podcast dedicated to ...
22 Jun 2025
Smear Campaigns | What They Are, How to Spot Them, and How to Cope
The host discusses smear campaigns launched by abusers after a relationship ends, explaining red flags and strategies for self-protection.
18 May 2025
Feelings of Guilt After Leaving Abusive, Coercive Relationships
Send us a text "I feel guilty" If you’ve escaped coercive control or domestic violence, you’re probably no stranger to guilt. Feeling responsible for the pain your abuser claims to suffer after you leave is common. In this episode, I explore what guilt is, why it's not always trustworthy, and how guilt can also be used by abusers to manipulate. Your safety and healing come first. You’re not alone, and that guilt doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice. References The psychoph...
2 May 2025
Using Children as Tools of Control in Relationships & Guest Kalesha Shares her Story
Send us a text In this episode, I am joined by Kalesha, who bravely shares her personal story of surviving domestic abuse, and the current healing journey she is on. Together, we explore how children are often used as tools of manipulation and control in abusive relationships, which is a heartbreaking but critical aspect of coercive control that’s not discussed often enough. The interview is an open and honest conversation, and we hope you enjoy listening in! Visit escapetheparadox.com ...
21 Apr 2025
Male Privilege and Entitlement within Coercive Control, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Relationships
Send us a text In this episode, I’m talking about how male privilege is used as a tool for control in abusive relationships. This isn’t just about physical violence. I focus on the subtle, everyday ways power and entitlement show up and are reflected hugely in overrepresentation of males in society, as well as the difficulties in approaching these institutions that are supposed to protect women, as a result. References Bancroft, L. (2003). Why Does He Do That? Inside The Minds of Angry ...
1 Apr 2025
Part 2 - Abuse: Minimizing, Denying and Blaming (Gaslighting) (2 of 2)
Send us a text In this episode, I continue analyzing past correspondence between myself and the abuser, focusing on the tactics of minimizing, denying, and blaming. I break down how these strategies are used to distort reality, shift responsibility, and keep targets trapped in cycles of self-doubt and confusion. By examining these patterns, I aim to bring clarity to the emotional and psychological impact of coercive control. Together, we’ll explore the complexities of coercive control, ...
17 Mar 2025
Abuse: Minimizing, Denying and Blaming (Gaslighting)
Send us a text In this episode, I explore a message I wrote to my father in 2023, and take you through his response with me. It’s a raw and honest conversation that highlights the tactics of minimizing, denying, and blaming, which are patterns that are reflected in the power and control wheel. These dynamics are deeply familiar to many who have lived through coercive control or emotional abuse and domestic violence in any form, and my hope is that by sharing my experience, you’ll feel seen, u...
28 Feb 2025
Abuse: Intimidation
Send us a text Isolation is one of the most powerful tools of coercive control, and it goes far beyond just cutting someone off from friends and family. In this episode, we explore how abusers use suspicion, false accusations, and emotional manipulation to make their targets feel trapped and alone—even in everyday interactions. Through Maxine’s story, we see how isolation operates in layers, chipping away at independence, self-trust, and access to support. Recognizing these tactics is the fir...
14 Feb 2025
Emotional / Psychological Abuse: Part 2/2
Send us a text Emotional abuse doesn’t just wound in the moment—it rewires the way we see ourselves. Over time, the insults, gaslighting, and manipulation become our own inner voice, eroding self-trust and self-worth. In Part 2, let's dive into how abuse shapes our internal narrative and what it takes to reclaim our sense of self. Most importantly, I want to remind you that the beliefs an abuser ingrains in you are not the truth. Healing is possible, and it starts with challenging their...
8 Feb 2025
Emotional / Psychological Abuse: Part 1/2
Send us a text Emotional abuse leaves no visible scars, but its impact runs deep. In this episode of Escape the Paradox, I talk about how emotional abuse erodes self-worth, distorts reality, and keeps targets trapped in cycles of self-doubt. I’ll share how it manifests in both subtle and overt ways, why it’s so difficult to recognize, and how the words and tactics used against me shaped my identity long after the abuse ended. Most importantly, I want to remind you that the beliefs an a...
24 Jan 2025
Intimidation
Send us a text In this episode, I delve into the element of intimidation in abusive relationships and how it oppresses the target, making escape incredibly challenging. I also share my personal experience with the very real tactics abusers use to discredit their targets, adding even more layers of difficulty to leaving.Sources Please see this study regarding PTSD, and the associations between experiencing trauma and threats, as in DV/IPV/Child Abuse: Kredlow, A., Fenster, R. J., Laurent...
17 Jan 2025
Coercion and Threats
Send us a textIn this episode of Escape the Paradox, let's delve into the "Coercion and Threats" section of the Power and Control Wheel. Learn how abusers use coercive tactics to instill fear and maintain control over their targets. Learn to recognize these behaviors, and understand their impact. Whether you're seeking clarity or supporting someone you care about, this episode sheds light on the covert, and difficult to verbalize, dynamics of coercive control.SourcesI reference the Power and ...
10 Jan 2025
Abuse is Abuse: Why Labels Don't Help
Abuse survivor advocate and expert Dr. Jennifer Freyd explores how labeling abusers distracts from the harm caused and the patterns of control, intimidation, and manipulation that define abuse.
7 Jan 2025
Introduction: Breaking My Paradox
Host Sarah Dziedzic shares her personal story of breaking free from coercive control, empowering others to verbalize the impact of abuse and take the first step towards healing.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
42
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Escape the Paradox
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Escape the Paradox
Who hosts Escape the Paradox?
I host the show. Published by Helena Hickman.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Escape the Paradox take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
Host of Escape the Paradox?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
