What If Healing Is Control You Take Back

Send us Fan MailThe jokes land fast, but the truth lands harder. We pull back the curtain on how narcissism doesn’t end with parents—grandparents can cross lines too, using children’s stories or medical needs to win attention, favors, even faster restaurant tables. That’s not quirky family drama; it’s exploitation. We talk through the damage it causes, how to set boundaries that actually hold, and the real-world signs that tell you it’s time to pull the plug on access.From there we get practical. Victoria reads prompts from her new healing workbook on life after narcissistic abuse, sharing why survivors overwork, how identity gets tangled in roles, and what it feels like when safety finally returns to your body. We revisit a harrowing NICU memory to show how institutions often misread trauma—calm abusers are believed, panicked victims are questioned—and how journaling can help you reclaim facts and voice before systems try to tidy your story. It’s raw, it’s specific, and it leads to tools you can use today.We balance the heavy with hope: a new humanitarian award, a call for sponsors who believe in survivor advocacy, and a live read from the Stucco Squad children’s series that teaches little ones to “choose your brave” in simple, everyday moments. There’s golden retriever love, craft bracelets, and shoutouts to upcoming guests whose humor and heart keep us going. We also reflect on public figures who quietly serve—visiting children’s hospitals, standing up in court—and why that kind of integrity matters for anyone rebuilding after abuse.If you’re tired of being told to calm down while the abuser charms the room, you’ll feel seen here. Come for the candor, stay for the tools: boundary scripts, reflective questions, and proof that messy truths still change lives. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs strength today, and leave a review telling us the boundary you’re ready to enforce. Your brave counts.Support the show