Have you thought about sharing your story on a podcast?
We talk a lot here about the effects of abuse, and the things we do to cope, heal, and move forward.
I've done most things out there while I've been working on healing over the past 15 or so years.
It started with regular therapy, then groups and 12 step programs, then trauma therapy, and ultimately landed in Somatics - with me reconnecting with my body and the physical ramifications of trauma.
It helped so much that I now work as a somatic coach, helping women like me.
But it's one thing to heal in therapy, in groups, and by helping others - I still felt like something was missing, so I started talking about it.
For so long I was terrified that talking about my mother's narcissism would hurt her, or make her lash out and hurt me... so I kept her secret - even when it felt like staying quiet was strangling me.
Over the years I heard so many flying monkeys tell me how great my mom is, how my accomplishments, and anything good about me can be traced back to her, and her stellar parenting.
Eventually I just couldn't take it anymore. At the end of 2023, I started a podcast to finally just talk. It was a way to get out of my own head about the narcissistic abuse I was raised with, and also a way to explain all the hidden signs and symptoms of this abuse that we don't heal from without help. I went from being too scared to talk about it, to starting the podcast but being too scared to post it, to posting it but being too scared to market it.
But as I pushed myself to be honest, to stop protecting her, I felt a real shift towards freedom. I just stopped caring quite so much about the outcome, and started caring more about the freedom I felt when sharing my story.
Talking about my journey, alone and with others, has been one of the most healing things I’ve done for myself. It became my 'line in the sand', with so many episodes and proof of my reality, that I no longer feel any need to defend myself. Over time, the podcast has grown into a space where I also talk with other survivors about what happened, how it affected them, what they did to survive, what they’ve had to unlearn, and what healing or moving on has actually looked like for them.
I wanted to post here because I’d love to give others in this community a chance to share their stories too.
You don’t need to have anything figured out in order to share, and you can be absolutely anywhere on your journey - just as long as it feels safe for you to take part, you're welcomed to.
It’s a small podcast, but it reaches people who have lived through this too, and I know how powerful it can be to hear someone's story, and realise you're not alone. It can also serve as a record - an account of your experience that you can send to those you care about, so you don't have to explain yourself so often.
If you think you might want to come on, comment here or send me a message. Or you can also submit a request through the contact form on my website. https://www.practicalsomatic.com/podcast
I’d really love to hear from you.
-Allie