Resources

Free help for survivors

I write about surviving a covert narcissist's campaign of legal manipulation because I lived it. These are the crisis lines, legal services, safety tools, and therapy options I lean on in the essays — the ones I wish someone had handed me at the beginning. All of them are free or low-cost.

I'm not affiliated with these organizations, and I can't give legal or clinical advice — this page is a starting point, not a substitute for a licensed attorney, therapist, or advocate.

If it's happening now

Immediate help

If you are in danger right now, skip this page and use the numbers below. They are free, confidential, and staffed around the clock.

If you are in immediate danger

Call 911 or your local emergency number. If you can't speak safely, dial 911 and leave the line open — many dispatchers can still trace it.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

24/7, free and confidential. Trained advocates for safety planning, shelters, and the legal options in your state.

1-800-799-7233 · Text START to 88788

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

If you're in emotional distress or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 any time. It's free and confidential.

Call or text 988

Crisis Text Line

Text with a trained volunteer crisis counselor, any hour, from anywhere in the US.

Text HOME to 741741

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline

Free, confidential support for survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones.

1-800-656-4673 (1-800-656-HOPE)

The system is not built for you

Free legal help

Legal abuse works by making the system so expensive and confusing that you give up. These services exist to change that — they're how I learned the vulnerabilities I write about.

Find free legal aid near you (Legal Services Corporation)

Legal aid organizations provide free or low-cost help to people who qualify — including protective orders, custody, and family law.

WomensLaw.org Email Hotline

Plain-language information on protective orders, custody, divorce, and harassment laws, answered by advocates and attorneys in every state.

ABA Free Legal Answers

Ask a civil legal question online and get a free answer from a volunteer attorney.

Where I lived it

Arizona-specific resources

My own campaign played out in Arizona courts, so I'm including the state-specific resources I wish I had on day one.

AZPOINT — Arizona protective order portal

The free, court-run tool for petitioning for an Order of Protection or Injunction Against Harassment in Arizona, with a built-in safety plan. I used this system myself.

Arizona Sexual & Domestic Violence Helpline (ACESDV)

Statewide crisis line and referrals to shelters and advocates across Arizona.

1-800-782-6400 · (602) 279-2900

Community Legal Services of Arizona

Free civil legal help for low-income Arizonans, including family law and protective orders.

1-800-852-9075

AZCourtHelp.org

Free information about Arizona courts and court procedures, from the Arizona Bar Foundation.

State Bar of Arizona

Attorney referral service if you need to hire licensed counsel.

(602) 252-4804

Protect the record

Safety & documentation

Covert abuse hides in phones, accounts, and paperwork. Securing yours early protects you later.

Tech Safety (NNEDV Safety Net)

Guides for securing your phone, accounts, and location from someone who is monitoring or stalking you — a reality I write about in the essays.

WomensLaw safety planning

Step-by-step safety plans for leaving, staying, and after separation — including court and digital-safety planning.

Keep a paper trail

From my own experience: save emails, texts, filings, and voicemails outside shared devices and accounts. Documentation was the single most valuable thing I had when the campaign against me reached the courts.

Rebuilding from the ground up

Therapy & healing

The legal fight ends eventually. The recalibration of your own reality takes longer, and you don't have to do it alone.

Psychology Today therapist finder

Search by ZIP, insurance, and specialty. Filter for trauma, domestic abuse, and narcissistic abuse; EMDR-certified therapists can be especially helpful.

Open Path Psychotherapy Collective

Affordable therapy at reduced rates ($40–$80 per session) for people without adequate insurance coverage.

SAMHSA National Helpline

Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral for mental health and substance-use support.

1-800-662-4357 (1-800-662-HELP)

You're not imagining it

If what you're living through sounds like my essays, it is real, it has a name, and other people have survived it. Start with the writing, or reach out.

Read the essays About Christina Get in touch