Violence, control and finding support

Understanding the topic

Rather than labelling someone “toxic”, this article discusses behaviours. You do not need to decide whether someone is a narcissist before asking about support.

What the research says

CDC includes physical and sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression intended to harm or control within intimate partner violence. This includes current and former partners. WHO also includes controlling behaviours.

Source for this section: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; World Health Organization

Limits of these findings

Different recollections alone do not establish manipulation. This article does not diagnose gaslighting or personality. Violence does not require a recurring harm-and-apology cycle: CDC also describes single episodes.

An optional starting point

You can contact a support service and describe what happened in your own words. We do not prescribe confrontation or mandatory evidence collection. You can discuss next steps with a support worker. Polish contact numbers are below.