Comic Maddy Anholt writes a book about abusive relationships

Stand-up Maddy Anholt has signed a deal to write her first book, based on her experience of abusive relationships.

The title, How To Leave Your Psychopath is due to be published by Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird in  February next year.

The publisher describes it as ‘a candid and darkly entertaining insight into the bizarre and frightening world of coercive control and abusive relationships from a woman who, until her eyes were opened, had spent her entire dating life trapped in them’.

Anholt, who has performed four solo Edinburgh shows, said:  ‘An extraordinary number of people are utterly trapped in controlling and coercive relationships.

‘For many years, I was one of them, and what I desperately needed back then was a straightforward survival guide to explain what the hell was going on.  I decided to write the book I wish I'd read ten years ago.’

The comic said she found the means to 'wake up' to the toxic patterns of psychopathic personality types with help from an NHS crisis counsellor, then decided to educate herself about the  traits of narcissists and psychopaths, and to find out why she had been vulnerable to their allure. 

Publisher Carole Tonkinson added: 'Maddy's proposal was the dream: brilliantly researched, well informed,  immensely relatable and laugh-out-loud funny.

‘I have been on the search for a book on coercive control that felt empowering, informed by lived experience and is an unputdownable read. One of the terrible legacies of coercive control is toxic shame about getting involved with a narcissist in the first place.

‘Maddy is living proof that there is nothing to be ashamed of and her passion to share her hard-won insight and to help other people identify destructive partners and patterns is inspiring.. It's like a best friend helping you remember your best self and find your way out of trouble. I cannot wait to get it out there.’

The book is described as covering ‘the route to self-discovery, how to see and respond to red flags, safe dating, recognising controlling traits, distinguishing narcissistic and psychopathic personality types and all that lies in between’.

Anholt had started performing a live show based on the same premise before lockdown last year.

Published: 8 Mar 2021