She felt something was off when her date said the kids in his custody never saw their mom—a quick Facebook search confirmed her worst fears
People who have experienced any kind of abuse with their partners in the past are extremely careful about who they let into their lives. A TikTok user named Renee shared a post under her handle @styledbysurvival on June 27, 2026, revealing how she decided to go out with someone after ending a relationship with a narcissistic partner. Initially, the man seemed great and was doing everything right. He also mentioned that he had custody of his children. This wasn’t an issue until he pointed out that their mom never saw them. Suspecting something was amiss, she decided to conduct a quick search and verify his claim, only to discover the truth.
When they spoke about their exes, she revealed that she was in an abusive marriage and had to leave. On the other hand, he said he had sole custody of his kids, and his former partner never saw them. His words seemed off, but the woman decided not to jump to any conclusions. After she got home, she looked up his former spouse’s Facebook page, and it had multiple posts about parental alienation. She then looked him up and realized he had a protective order violation, meaning he had allegedly breached a court order to stay away from someone.
Looking back, she did notice some warning signs during the date. The first red flag was that he finished an entire bottle of wine by himself. Yet, she brushed it off as a preference. Next, he explained that his ex-wife had mental health issues and that he “recommended” she move back with her parents. “You’re recommending things for her mental health?” Renee remarked. He later insisted on meeting her kid and asked her to set time aside every week, so they had a routine together. It creeped Renee out, and she was certain she didn’t want to take things further. After the evening ended, she spoke to her friend about it, but she assured her that her mind was just trying to sabotage the connection.
Yet, she trusted her instincts and ran the search, and it confirmed her fears. According to Sandra L. Brown, founder of The Institute for Relational Harm Reduction & Public Pathology Education, lecturer, and award-winning author, narcissism affects approximately 1% of the population, while Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affects 2%. It was noted that 1 in 25 people in the United States has at least one disorder linked with antisocial personality disorder, sociopathy, and psychopathy. As a result, 60.8 million people, including partners of such individuals, are “negatively affected by their pathology.”
“I’m still fighting to escape one man who was just like this. What are the chances of finding another?” she said. Renee concluded that the man was definitely controlling, and there was more behind the story. But she didn’t want to stick around; she immediately blocked him. The takeaway? Listen to your instincts. Renee noted that women are often discouraged from trusting their instincts, whether it’s about health, emotions, or people. Experiences like hers highlight why paying attention to suspicious feelings can be important.
You can follow @styledbysurvival on TikTok for more content on relationships and lifestyle.