loading . . . Survivor Music | Cracks of Gold Pathological abusers, including narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths, use insidious tactics to dismantle identity. What they do is exploit vulnerability and erode self-worth. Why they do it is to break victims down into compliance and erase their perspective. How they do it is through percepticide, perspecticide, and relentless psychological harm that leaves lasting scars. For survivors, the aftermath does not feel like empowerment. It feels like living in fragments, navigating C-PTSD, neurological damage, or scars that cannot be undone. Society often pushes the myth that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” but for many, surviving means enduring the unendurable, not returning to a life that no longer exists. The Kintsugi metaphor shows another truth. Like pottery repaired with gold, some survivors choose not to hide their fractures. They let the cracks show—not as a celebration of suffering, but as proof of endurance. The strength was always there. The golden scars are a metaphor for the strength it takes to live through hell and come back. Some survivors rebuild and thrive, finding happiness and peace in life beyond the abuse. Others learn to live with their scars—accepting that while they are free, safer, and often happier, they may never feel entirely whole again. The cracks remain, whether acknowledged or hidden under proclamations of recovery. For some, flaunting those golden scars becomes part of their advocacy—survivors who step forward as coaches, therapists, activists, or artists. For others, it is a quieter acceptance that healing does not erase what was endured. In both cases, the cracks of gold remain, shining as a reminder of survival, truth, and strength revealed. On a societal scale, pathological abusers fracture communities with fear, manipulation, and division. Societies too can choose to ignore the cracks or confront them honestly, filling them with accountability and truth. Cracks of Gold is not about glorifying pain. It is about rejecting shame, breaking the myth of “thriving,” and showing that scars, visible or invisible, can carry truth and strength without erasing the cost. ℗ 2024 Cindy Ann Pedersen Survivor Music: Cindy Ann Pedersen | Award-Winning Songwriter Pathological Abuse Specialist | Advocate Connect: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cindyannpedersen.com YouTube: youtube.com/@CindyAnnPedersen Substack: https://cindyannpedersen.substack.com/ Website: https://www.cindyannpedersen.com/ Also featured on: We Resist Web Radio Collective: https://weresistradio.com/cindy-ann-pedersen/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/63zLgna4ymVAZTgyDXl4Xf Apple: https://music.apple.com/sg/artist/cindy-ann-pedersen/1778349950 ..available on most streaming platforms. Note: Pathological abuse serves as the umbrella term to encompass various manipulative behaviors and abuse tactics rooted in personality traits and disorders specifically associated with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), with or without psychopathy. The terms “narcissist,” “sociopath,” and “psychopath” may be used for clarity. These traits would meet the criteria for clinical diagnosis if formally assessed. Simplified language helps explain these tactics without requiring clinical expertise. #SurvivorMusic #PathologicalAbuse #TheirPlaybook #Music #Narcissist #Sociopath #Psychopath #IndieMusic #Songwriter #NewMusic #CracksOfGold #CPTSD https://youtu.be/qU0q8i9NuNs?si=tb2f9e_3Ufj81a6o
