How Survival Mode Turned Into Control Issues

I sat down intending to talk about control, but as often happens, God took the conversation deeper than I expected. For years, I thought I had control issues. What I'm realizing now is that many of those behaviors weren't really about control at all. They started as survival skills. Somewhere along the way, I learned to anticipate problems, protect myself, prepare for worst-case scenarios, and carry responsibilities that were never meant to be mine. Those patterns helped me survive difficult seasons, but God has been gently showing me that I don't have to live there anymore. In this vulnerable and unedited conversation, I share pieces of my own healing journey, childhood wounds, unhealthy coping mechanisms, anxiety, self-protection, and the freedom that comes when we begin to surrender the things we've been carrying for far too long. We also talk about: • Why control often starts as a survival skill • Childhood wounds and the coping mechanisms we develop • The hidden burden of trying to protect everyone around us • How survival mode can quietly become a way of life • The difference between surviving and surrendering • What God has been teaching me about trust, healing, and letting go • Why some of the things that once protected us may be the very things God is asking us to release • The freedom that comes when we stop carrying what was never ours to carry Friend, maybe you're not controlling because you want power. Maybe you're controlling because you learned it's the only way to survive. Maybe, it's now just a coping mechanism that turned into a habit.   And maybe God is inviting you into something different. Maybe He's inviting you to put down the things you've been carrying and trust Him with what comes next. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 11:28-30 Isaiah 61 RESOURCES 💛 Operation Reset (Free Workshop) https://melissabatt.com/operation-reset   VIP Operation Reset: https://melissabattcoaching.myflodesk.com/resetvip   💛 1:1 Coaching with Melissa https://melissabatt.com/breakthrough-coaching 🚶 MOVE Meetups-FREE Sign up here: https://melissabattcoaching.myflodesk.com/move Tuesdays at 9:00 AM (Locally) Thursdays at 9:00 AM (Online) Jesus Laughs Devotional-https://a.co/d/0eyD6Nxz Content Note: This episode includes discussion of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, and mental health struggles. Please use discretion when listening around children. P.S. Because so many of you have told me these unedited episodes feel like we're simply sitting together over coffee, here's another one. No script or fancy editing. Nothing polished. Just an honest conversation with what God is teaching me in this season.