One of the best things you can do for yourself is read and learn everything you can get your hands on about addicts behaviour. They manipulate, twist things around and are so good at it, it leaves us doubting ourselves. Slowly but surely it leads us to losing self esteem. This is one of the things that got knocked right out of me without even knowing it, surely but slowly and with alot of hard work I am starting to get some of it back and still have a long way to go. Having no self esteem is a scarey place to be.
I don't think that the addicts set out purposely to knock us down, I think they are in such denial about their addiction they truely believe we are out to lunch.
Just believe in yourself!
Rose