Adult Child Pod

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Adult Child Pod

Welcome to Adult Child - the podcast that takes a deep dive into the impact of growing up in a dysfunctional family.

Andrea for vulnerable conversations on all things ADULT CHILD - from codependency, toxic shame, complex PTSD & addiction.

09/06/2025

“But they’re your family…” is the line people throw around when they don’t understand what it actually takes for someone to go no contact.

This isn’t a decision made out of spite.
It’s a decision made after years—decades—of trying. Of hoping. Of hurting.

No contact isn’t the easy way out. It’s the last resort when staying in contact keeps breaking you.

🎧If you can relate, make sure to check out this week’s Sh*tshow Saturday - head to my stories to hear Kelly’s full episode.

25/04/2025

No truer words - were my “old souls” at?!? 😂🤦‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️

21/04/2025

Feeling stuck in cycles of procrastination, shame, or total disconnection—even though you're “doing all the things”?

You might be in functional freeze—a lesser-known trauma response that can look like laziness or self-sabotage... but is really your nervous system’s way of protecting you.

🎥 In this video, I’m breaking down one of the most common (and misunderstood) types of freeze response: The Stuck & Shame-Filled Overthinker.

✨ Learn how this shows up
✨ Why it’s not your fault
✨ And what’s actually going on in your brain and body when this happens

If this resonates, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to stay stuck.

🌀 I’m hosting a 6-week somatic breathwork course designed specifically for adult children like us—who are ready to thaw out and finally feel safe in their bodies again. Space is limited, and we kick off May 14th.

🔗 Get the details + sign up here: www.adultchildpodcast.com/breathetoheal

21/04/2025

If you’ve been stuck, spinning in cycles of procrastination, overwhelm, or numbness—please hear this:

That constant stuckness you’re battling with? It’s not a personal failure or a flaw in your mindset. It’s your nervous system doing its best to protect you, even if it doesn’t feel that way.

This is something I so deeply wish I had understood sooner.

It’s called functional freeze, and it’s way more common than most people realize—especially for adult children.

💭 If you’ve been wondering why you can’t “just do the thing,”
💭 Why even basic tasks feel like they take twice the energy,
💭 Or why you feel disconnected from your life while still “doing” all the things…

This might be what’s going on.

👉 I’m diving into this in a new video coming tomorrow.
Make sure to come back for it—you don’t want to miss this.

18/04/2025

🥚 Walking on eggshells wasn’t a personality trait—it was a trauma response.

If you grew up in dysfunction, tiptoeing around emotions, moods, or certain people probably felt normal. You weren’t just trying to keep the peace—you were surviving.

But when it’s all you’ve ever known, you don’t question it.
Until one day, you do.

👇 What’s something you used to think was “just how life is”... but later realized was actually a trauma response?

17/04/2025

🔥 To the scapegoats who were blamed for everything they didn’t cause—this one’s for you.

Being the scapegoat in a dysfunctional family isn’t just about getting blamed. It’s about slowly starting to believe that blame was deserved.

You weren’t the problem—but you were treated like one. And when the people who were supposed to protect you became the ones setting the fire, the only way to survive was to internalize the flames.

But here’s the truth: You were never the cause of the fire—you were just the easiest to burn.

https://redcircle.com/shows/6cbac788-c2a3-4eaa-bce9-06845e610d8a/episodes/933f731c-2d67-4033-a64e-f371d637993a

This powerful metaphor from one of my past podcast episodes still hits hard:
🎧 Family Scapegoating Abuse with Rebeca Mandeville — listen here: https://redcircle.com/shows/6cbac788-c2a3-4eaa-bce9-06845e610d8a/episodes/933f731c-2d67-4033-a64e-f371d637993a

👇 Did you grow up being treated like the family problem? What helped you start seeing the truth?

17/04/2025

💔 Not all grief is loud.
Some of it creeps in quietly—when the love fades, the closeness slips, and the dysfunction takes over.

When it wasn’t always bad, it can be harder to name the loss.
Harder to recognize it as trauma.
Because part of you remembers what it used to feel like. And that part still holds on.

It’s not just about what you never got.
It’s also about what you did have… and then had to lose.

🫂 If this resonates, you're not alone.
Have you experienced this kind of grief? I’d love to hear what that journey’s been like for you.

16/04/2025

You’re showing up for work. You’re checking things off the list. But inside? You feel numb. Exhausted. Disconnected.

It’s not burnout. It’s not laziness. It’s not you being "broken."

It might be functional freeze—a trauma response that keeps you stuck in cycles of procrastination, overthinking, and shut down... even when there’s nothing technically “wrong.”

💡 The good news? You can unfreeze. And it starts in your body.

Breathe to Heal is a live, 6-week trauma-informed somatic breathwork series designed to help you gently release what’s been stuck and finally feel safe in your body again.

✨Led by Teresa Napierala (a certified somatic + breathwork practitioner and fellow Sh*tshow-er 🙌)
✨75-minute weekly Zooms
✨Replay access + private support space for community tier
✨Sliding scale options—limited spots available

We start Wednesday, May 14 @ 8:30 PM EST.
Come exhale with us.
adultchildpodcast.com/breathetoheal

03/03/2025

Starting a new book tonight in The Sh*tshow—come read (or just pretend to read) with us.

Tonight at 8:30 PM EST, we kick off our latest Book Club pick—The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté. If you’ve ever felt like “WTF is wrong with me?” (I see you 👀), this book is for you.

Not a book nerd? No problem. Here’s what else is happening this week…

📅 This Week in The Sh*tshow(all in EST):

Tuesday: ✨ Deep healing or just emotionally spiraling? Either way, we've got two groups—1 PM Sh*tshow Support & 8:30 PM IFS/Parts Work w/ Trauma Recovery Coach Jesse.

Wednesday: 💼 Job Struggle Sesh at 1 PM, and at 7:30 PM, our CSA Survivor Group holds space for those who need it.

Thursday: 💬 Another Sh*tshow Support Group at 8:30 PM.

Friday: 💔 Divorce & Separation Group at 1 PM.

Why heal alone when you could do it with us? The best people find their way to The Sh*tshow. Maybe this is your time?

👉 thesh*tshow.mn.co

25/02/2025

Oof I feel called out 😂😩🤦‍♀️

Let’s be real—many of us grew up in environments where love was unpredictable, conditional, or downright chaotic. So now, when we attach to someone, it’s not just affection—it’s survival mode, with our attachment wounds screaming for attention.

💥 Over-texting, over-apologizing, and overthinking every interaction?
💥 Making someone your entire world within weeks?
💥 Feeling physically sick when they take too long to reply?

Which of these can you relate to? (All of them for me 😂)

13/02/2025

The word triggered gets thrown around a lot these days, but its real meaning is often misunderstood.

✅ Being triggered is a psychological response—it happens when a situation, word, or event brings up overwhelming emotions tied to past trauma. It’s not about being “offended” or “too sensitive”—it’s about reliving an emotional or physiological reaction that feels real and intense.

🚫 When people dismiss triggers as just “being upset,” it invalidates real struggles with PTSD and C-PTSD

👉 Have you ever had to explain what being triggered really means?

If you relate to my content:

🎙️Check out my podcast Adult Child - see the link in my bio or you can find it anywhere podcasts are found

✔️Follow for more on healing from the impact of growing up in a dysfunctional family

💕Share this post with anyone who may benefit

08/12/2024

Reminder that The CYCLE BREAKER SUMMIT: REPARENTING OURSELVES starts tomorrow! This 3-day FREE event with over 20 speakers is packed with transformative tools and insights to help you heal, grow, and step into your power.

Here are a few presentations I’m especially looking forward to:

Day 1-
✨ “The Power of Presence: Healing Your Inner Parts Through IFS & Self-Acceptance” – Melissa Short
✨ “Transforming Trauma Treatment w/ the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model ” – Jan Winhall

Day 2 -
✨ “Discover the Healing Secrets Your Inner Child Desperately Wants to Share” – Pi Venus Winslow
✨ "Who Are You Beyond Shame?" – Karen C.L. Anderson

Day 3 -
✨ “Rebirth: Transforming Your Life as a Cycle Breaker” – Dr. Sherri Campbell
✨ “How to Navigate the Holidays When You’re Estranged From Family” - Sharon Martin

There’s still time to grab your free ticket here... https://www.adultchildpodcast.com/workshops

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