When You’re Losing Hope That Things Will Get Better
TAKING YOUR LIFE BACK
3 February 2026
Player loading, please wait...
You didn't know it was going to be like this.
When you started this relationship, you thought the drama with the high conflict ex would settle down. That co-parenting would get easier. That eventually, you and your partner could just enjoy your relationship without it being sabotaged all the time.
But here you are – 1 year in, maybe 2 or 3, maybe even more – and you're still waiting for that future to arrive.
And now the reality is starting to sink in. This might not change. It might always be like this.
And the thought of that can leave you feeling exhausted, numb, and maybe even questioning everything.
If that's where you are right now, this episode talks to you about what's really going on with you. And the way to get through this.
Key Takeaways
When you start a relationship, there's hope for the future. But after dealing with the exhausting cycle that comes with a high conflict ex, the reality starts to settle in.
Real acceptance is "okay, this is what my life actually is now, not what I hoped it would be, now what do I want to do with that.
Accepting that she'll never change doesn't bring relief at first – it's grief, letting go of future you imagined, and that's a real loss.
A lot of the exhaustion you feel isn't just from what's happening, it's from spending so much energy pushing the feeling of grief down.
The key is to allow yourself to feel what you've been pushing down and grieve the loss, so you can finally move forward.
You might still wish it were different. But you're not fighting it anymore. And when you're not fighting it, you have your energy back.
Next Steps
If you've ever felt like nobody actually gets what this is like:
→ I do. Join my list. My emails are where I share things I don't share anywhere else (because I don’t just teach this stuff, I actually live it).
Hi, I'm Kellie
I'm a stepmum of two, high conflict survivor and a certified coach. I help stepmums handle the sh*t that comes with the ex, with no-BS strategies that actually work (I know because I use them myself).