Breaking Free: Dana Diaz on Overcoming Narcissistic Abuse and Embracing Mindfulness

The podcast episode features Dana Diaz, who shares her journey of overcoming narcissistic abuse inflicted by her family and ex-husband. Dana speaks about enduring emotional and mental abuse throughout her life, which eventually led to severe health issues in her 40s. This health crisis prompted her to make drastic changes, leave her abusive marriage, and prioritize her well-being.

Dana emphasizes the importance of mental health, self-awareness, and conscious choices to break free from harmful patterns. She also discusses the challenges of dealing with victims who might not be ready to leave their abusive situations. The episode wraps up by highlighting Dana's book, "Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse," and her ongoing efforts to help others on their journey to mindfulness and healing.

This episode is a deep dive into:

- Dana had a wake-up call when doctors informed her that her body was dying from stress-induced complications. This motivated her to leave her abusive environment and prioritize her mental health.

- Dana's escape from abuse as joining a 'club of mindfulness,' where she learned to take care of herself and became aware of better ways to live. This journey involved a significant mindset shift from victimhood to self-care.

- The constant verbal abuse she faced as a child and how it affected her self-worth

- The eventual realization that she had the power to change her life trajectory

- The physical and psychological toll of the abuse, including severe health issues

- The importance of mental health and self-talk in healing and recovery

- The struggle and triumph of overcoming deeply ingrained patterns of behavior

- The role of self-inflicted change in personal growth

- How mindfulness practices and asking 'what

About the guest:

Dana Diaz studied journalism and psychology at DePaul University. While there’s no better teacher than life experience and Dana has had life-long experiences with narcissistic abuse, her education did give her the ability to accurately verbalize and express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims.

Today, Dana is a proud voice for fellow victims who are unable, afraid, or ashamed to share their experiences. She strives to create awareness and understanding to ensure victims are given the support they need to understand their situation and begin the healing process. Her first book, chronicling her own abusive marriage that lasted nearly three decades, started as a journal that she hid under the couch cushion in the basement.

Connect with Dana Diaz:

Website: https://danasdiaz.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaSDiazAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danas.diaz/

About Alan:

Alan Carroll is an Educational Psychologist who specializes in Transpersonal Psychology. He founded Alan Carroll & Associates 30 years ago and before that, he was a Senior Sales Training Consultant for 10 years at Digital Equipment Corporation. He has dedicated his life in search of mindfulness tools that can be used by everyone (young and old) to transform their ability to speak at a professional level, as well as, to reduce the psychological suffering caused by the misidentification with our ego and reconnect to the vast transcendent dimension of consciousness that lies just on the other side of the thoughts we think and in between the words we speak.

Personal: https://www.facebook.com/alan.carroll.7359

Business: https://www.facebook.com/AlanCarrolltrains

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aca-mindful-you/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulnesseminar/

Web Site: https://acamindfulyou.com/