In this episode, we unpack one of the most disorienting manipulation tactics of all: the victim complex.

This is what happens when accountability is twisted into persecution — when the person causing harm positions themselves as the one who’s been wronged, and you’re left carrying the blame, the guilt, and the public narrative.

We explore how narcissistic individuals use the victim role to:

• Avoid responsibility

• Control the story

• Recruit sympathy and allies

• Recast themselves as “misunderstood” while portraying you as cruel, unstable, or abusive

You’ll learn how this tactic shows up and why it’s so effective at making reasonable people question themselves.

Most importantly, we talk about how to recognize when this is happening, how to stop engaging in the cycle, and how to stay grounded when someone is committed to seeing themselves as the victim no matter the evidence.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “How did I become the bad guy when I was just telling the truth?” — this episode is for you.

There’s a reason conversations with certain people go nowhere.

In this upcoming episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the victim complex — a pattern where correction is received as cruelty, and accountability sounds like abuse. We’ll explore how narcissistic personalities weaponize their own pain to escape responsibility, rewrite the truth, and re-center themselves as the wounded party.

If you’ve ever walked away from a confrontation feeling like you were the villain for simply telling the truth… this one’s for you.

Coming this Wednesday on Set Apart + Called. Make sure you’re subscribed — and don’t forget to share with someone who needs to hear it.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS INSIDE

Gaslighting isn’t confusion — it’s conditioning.It’s when someone repeatedly denies your reality, rewrites what happened, and slowly trains you to doubt your own memory, instincts, and emotions.

In Episode 32 of the Manipulation Tactics series, we break down how gaslighting actually works, why it’s so psychologically destabilizing, and how it keeps people trapped in cycles of self-blame, second-guessing, and emotional dependence.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking“Maybe I’m overreacting…”“Maybe I remembered it wrong…”“Maybe it really is my fault…”this episode will help you see why that voice was never yours to begin with.

🎧 Listen now to understand how gaslighting operates, how it shows up in narcissistic abuse and toxic relationships, and how to start trusting your own reality again.

And yes — important updates about the show and upcoming episodes are shared inside.