Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance: Healing From An Abusive Relationship With A Disordered Personality

by Peter Salerno

If you’re in or have been in a relationship with a pathological personality yet somehow ended up believing that everything bad was your fault, you’re not alone. That’s the super-power of disordered personalities: making their victims believe they are in the wrong even when they’re not.

Being on the receiving end of chronic but often subtle abuse can be brutal. The result of this dizzying and disorienting up-is-down maelstrom manifested by the pathological personality in your life results in Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance (TCD). This occurs when covert manipulation and other forms of deceit and coercion are experienced on an ongoing basis. TCD represents complex trauma that goes far beyond typical trauma and stress-related symptoms.

But there is help. And knowledge is where it starts. Rest assured that what you have been searching for to make sense of your debilitating situation and to recover once and for all from pathological relationship abuse is right here, between the pages of this book. Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance, when understood, can be overcome. And that’s what this book is for—for you to gain the tools and information so that you’ll be able to reunite with your true sense of self and to move forward in your life with a renewed sense of joy. After all you’ve been through, you deserve it.

156 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2025

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book truly written for victims of the systemic abuse of the cluster b type personality. The author is a psychologist and completely captures the true reality of the victim hood to one of these personality types , he keeps the book to the point , direct and elaborates and highlights the causations of these personalities behaviours as well as their mechanisms and manipulation methods to triangulate their victims. My faviorates thing about his way of writing is the way that it’s clearly illustrated to be written for a victim that’s already overwhelmed and dealing with rumination attributed to the abuse. He is quick to cut through social norms and political correctness by highlighting the true malevolent nature of these personalities and suffocates their excuses. He equips the reader with the tools , assurance and experience or how to come out of the bond and is quick to dismiss disempowering terms such as co dependency and the old methods that are ineffective such as telling victims that their boundary placement and self worth and lack of forgiveness are the issue , instead he highlights effective methods of recovery such as bilateral eye movement desensitizing, visualization and stresses that there is no such thing as forgiveness however as a side effect of dealing with the trauma bond , the Victim eventually becomes indifferent and that is the goal of his work are and this book. Beautiful and empowering read and an eye opener from traditional psychology regarding these personality types and the healing work behind them. 10/10 recommend

[Kim Hemingway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You

I learned I’m the victim of severe pathological manipulation that started the moment I was born… I’ve walked thru life and did therapy until I knew more about myself than the therapist… lots of self study… all of it… then I had a daughter who died of leukemia and a son who can’t beat IV drug addiction coupled with what I just learned with this book it’s a miracle I can write a review. This book helped me turn the page in my life that needed to be turned… coupled with 30 years of committed healing work I’m free… I’m happy… I have a clear slate to make my life, my life.. thank you.. easy book to read filled with tons of knowledge and self help opportunities.. ✨😊👍

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Salerno coins the term Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance which is a really good descriptive of what happens to a victim of abuse by a "disordered personality" as he explains. The ongoing manipulation and mind games and normalizing done by abusers causes actual brain damage for their target victims. Salerno's explanation adds to the literature on *what* actually happens in these relationships and why the victim gets so confused about what is happening and why they can't resolve problems. This part is excellent.

The other part that was so helpful was his presentation of the science of the brain wiring of these disordered people and why they simply do NOT have empathy for anyone. Too many mental health practitioners want to explain away these abusers as having had some trauma themselves in childhood. Almost making them a sympathetic character. That never made sense in my situation as that did not apply to my abuser. He enjoyed and delighted in abusing and playing mind games. And his 2 brothers did too to the women in their lives. So wiring, possibly even genetics makes sense since their father was also a covert abuser while projecting an image of a "nice guy".

This begs the question for society as to what can possibly be done to prevent these disordered personalities from inflicting so much harm and chaos on so many?

The one weakness of this book was the "answers" on how to heal. While I agree education is major factor in healing and recovery, it is a complex journey and definitely need assistance of trauma informed and trained mental health professional. I felt that Don Hennessey's books were much stronger in giving women pathway to recovering from this type of abuse. Otherwise a good, quick read for those in this tragic arena.

[Kimberly Nizolek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some decent strategies; however, the author really adds to the stigmatization of personality disorders by calling people diagnosed with them “disordered” all throughout the book. He also bashes mental health professionals that do not align with his way of viewing them. That really turned me off wanting to learn more about his new term “traumatic cognitive dissonance.”

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book serves as a vital emergency response guide for breaking the trauma bond formed in an abusive relationship.

Peter Salerno dismantles the common misconception that "it always takes two" for a relationship to fail, offering a crucial insight: in a pathological, abusive relationship, this is simply not true. In fact, the disordered individual—who makes up about 1 in 25 people—isn’t acting defensively when they lash out. Rather, they are responding offensively, like flipping a temper tantrum switch.

Their aggressive behavior is driven by malice, cruelty, and sometimes even a disturbing sense of enjoyment. These individuals prey on others, using them as emotional crutches to navigate their own chaotic lives, whether as friends or intimate partners.

If you've found yourself ensnared in a relationship with someone exhibiting Cluster B or disordered personality traits, this book is essential reading.

To truly break the trauma bond, you must leave behind conventional psychological approaches—such as codependency, attachment styles, empathy, boundaries, and communication techniques. Cluster B personality types are inherently disordered and cannot be approached in the same way as a healthy individual. It's crucial to understand that it is not your responsibility to fix them.

This brilliant, concise book should be on the shelf of every therapist and anyone who has experienced the challenges of interacting with a disordered personality.

[Deborah Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading so many books to try to understand and heal after narcissistic abuse. This is definitely one of the best! I highly recommend it.

[Michele L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Peter Salerno's book, Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance is simply the best written, easy to understand and most concise book ever written on the subject. The book may seem slimmer than many others, but it is jam-packed full of eye-opening revelations. Having experienced abuse first hand, he's put his professional skills to use, both as a victim and a therapist. If you've experienced this kind of abuse & its effects, look no further. This book speaks to me, my experience & how to heal by one who knows firsthand. There is no guessing here. It's back up by researched science to give a handle on what can seem like it's beyond understanding. An eloquent on target read which will put you on the road to certainty & healing.

[Kayleen Hite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read Resource and will be keeping to reference!!!

I felt that this greatly hit a pivotal apex. The fact that my abuser, my husband, was a predator and a psychopath. That aligns with what I went through! Validation it was real! I loved how he defined forgiveness, that was so true and has been discarded in translations. I recommend this book, it is a quick, concise, informative tutorial towards healing. I appreciated the work pages and well explained resources. Thank you Peter!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Dr Peter Salerno is shining a bright light on the truth of being bonded to a person with a cluster B disorder… the information is truly life changing and liberating for those of us stuck wondering why our relationships have been and are so painful and one sided. Immense gratitude Peter for being bold enough to speak up clearly and unapologetically! 🙏🏻👏

[Jessie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct and worth it. I almost didn’t get it due to the brevity, but this was extremely well-written. Helpfully did NOT spend too much time having compassion for the person with “truth reliability” challenges. I listened to the audiobook and think I’m going to purchase the physical book as well. In the field. Agree this has a unique and much-needed perspective.

[Christina Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

really interesting and insightful, wish it was longer!