How Emotional Abuse Kills Marriages | Karen DeArmond Gardner

What if the person you married was quietly destroying your identity behind closed doors? Karen DeArmond Gardner joins Focus on the Family to share how not every marriage is as sacred and loving as it’s supposed to be. Instead, she reveals from personal experience how many Christian marriages can actually be emotionally abusive and how, with God, individuals can experience real love and begin to heal. Her story offers clarity, courage, and hope for anyone unsure whether what they’re experiencing is normal—or deeply harmful. To learn more, get your copy of Karen's new book, Hope for Healing From Domestic Abuse, here: https://bit.ly/4i7yIUW --- Chapters: 0:00 – Karen’s realization: “I can’t deny this anymore” 0:30 – How her abuser used love-bombing and charm 1:45 – The slow shift from affection to emotional abuse 3:10 – Why Christian women often blame themselves 4:00 – How abusers exploit empathy and compassion 6:50 – Understanding emotional abuse vs. normal hardship 10:30 – The turning point: When she finally knew it was abuse 13:45 – The escape: How she got out safely 17:45 – The hard journey toward forgiveness 19:50 – Finding real love and healing in her second marriage --- Check out Focus on the Family on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusonthefamily Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focusonthefamily X: https://twitter.com/FocusFamily --- #FocusontheFamily #ChristianMarriage #DomesticAbuseAwareness #FaithAndHealing #EmotionalAbuse #ChristianTestimony #ForgivenessAndHealing #TraumaRecovery ---