“I was in a situation where I loved and trusted this person more than I trusted myself.” Anna Kendrick

"Was I raised so that I was always trying to win their love?" Judith Orloff

"HSPs tend to be over-givers and toxic people tend to be over-takers.” Julie Bjelland

"That dysfunction can give us the message that I am not okay." Donna Jackson Nakazawa

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This audio is an excerpt from the longer episode: How Narcissistic Parenting and Toxic Relationships Impact Us, and Recovery.

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RESOURCES

» Understanding Narcissism Summit by Sounds True: "Features 20 Sessions of Insight and Guidance from Leading Experts in Psychology & Spirituality." (Judith Orloff, MD is a speaker.)

» Enjoy the full length original "Episode 104: How to Avoid and Heal From Toxic Relationships, with Julie and Willow" on the Sensitive and Neurodivergent Podcast on the Sensitive Empowerment site of Julie Bjelland, LMFT - where you can find many more of her articles, books, courses, Sensitive Community and other resources.

» Free class by Julie Bjelland: "How to Set Healthy Boundaries and Why it’s Essential for Wellness as an HSP" - See list of her free webinars.

» audio podcast (on Substack): "Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences" with science journalist and speaker Donna Jackson Nakazawa.

» More posts and podcasts on toxic relationships.

…..

National Domestic Violence Hotline offers free, confidential support and many resources to help at thehotline.org.

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Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

As various researchers and therapists note, being a highly sensitive person or another form of neurodivergent, with different "neurological wiring," we can experience many positive qualities, such a greater appreciation of beauty and art, a heightened awareness of subtleties, emotional depth, stronger empathy, and more.

All of which can enhance creative expression and performance, as shown by many actors, musicians, writers and other artists.

But we can also be more vulnerable to stress and overwhelm.

Therapist Julie Bjelland, LMFT talks about sensory overload in multiple posts, videos, podcasts, and the image refers to one of her suggestions to relieve unwanted effects:

"Watching news visually can cause a lot more anxiety than reading it for most highly sensitive people. Take breaks from reading or watching the news."

This audio is a short excerpt from one of her free classes: Sensory Overload & Sensitivity.

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In one of her articles, "Managing Sensory Overload: A Guide for Sensitive and Neurodivergent Individuals," she explains more. Here is an excerpt:

"Sensory sensitivity means experiencing heightened awareness of sensory input such as sounds, lights, textures, smells, and more. For instance:

Sounds: Struggling with the background noise in a cafe.

Textures: Avoiding certain fabrics or cutting clothing tags.

Lights: Feeling overwhelmed by fluorescent lighting.

This happens because neurodivergent brains process sensory input differently. In many cases, there’s reduced "brain pruning," meaning connections aren’t trimmed as much, leading to heightened awareness.

While this sensitivity can feel overwhelming, it’s important to recognize it as a natural part of how your brain works—not a flaw.

Prolonged exposure to sensory overload can have significant impacts, including:

Chronic Stress: Elevated cortisol levels, weakened immunity, and digestive issues.

Burnout: Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, often mistaken for depression.

Mental Health Risks: Increased anxiety and emotional distress.

Physical Strain: Migraines, hormonal imbalances, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders.

Sensory Joy: The Flip Side of Sensitivity

While sensitivity can be challenging, it also allows you to experience the world’s beauty with incredible depth. Examples of sensory joy include..."

See the Creative Mind post for more: Sensory Overload can lead to anxiety, fatigue. How to renew energy and calm?

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Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

Therapists provide insights and strategies

Psychologist Melanie Joy notes "this is an incredibly dysregulating time for everyone, especially those of us who are highly sensitive."

Therapist Emma McAdam: "If emotions are getting in the way of you living your life, you can learn how to slow down, think clearly..."

Dr Cathleen King: "A dysregulated nervous system can turn routine experiences into sources of stress.”

Therapist Julie Bjelland: "The brain has a negativity bias..."

See much more, including related articles and videos, at the original Creative Mind Audio podcast episode page:

What is being dysregulated, and how can we better process our emotions?

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Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

Psychologist Melanie Joy notes this is an incredibly dysregulating time for everyone, especially those of us who are highly sensitive.

This is an excerpt from her conversation with Andrea Weber for the Sensitive Empowerment Community.

Dr Joy comments: "We're especially affected by violence, chaos, and unpredictability. And right now, it's just an incredibly dysregulating time, as you pointed out, for everyone.

"So the question really is, how do we find the balance, right? So how do we take in enough information?

"I think this is one of the things that does throw people a little bit off because they don't want to just tune out entirely. We need to be informed enough so that we're not a part of the problem by sticking our heads in the sand.

"But how do we stay informed enough and not get over informed and then manage when we do get over informed?"

She suggests multiple resources, including books, apps and practices, to help emotional regulation and resilience.

This is an excerpt from the HSP podcast episode "Is Dysregulation Impacting Your Life? How to Recognize and Manage our Emotional Response with Dr Melanie Joy."

➡️ Hear the full episode at The Sensitive and Neurodivergent Podcast on the Sensitive Empowerment site of Julie Bjelland, LMFT - where you can find many more of her articles, books, courses, Sensitive Community and other resources.

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Do You Think Your Nervous System Is Dysregulated?

Cathleen King, DPT, is a "doctor of physical therapy who teaches neuroscience principles, and is a mind-body practitioner." She writes:

"If you’re feeling persistently anxious, stressed, or physically unwell, it might be more than just a temporary response to life’s challenges—it could be a sign of a dysregulated nervous system.”

See much more in her article Understanding A Dysregulated Nervous System: The Symptoms and Signs.

Follow the link to her site with more articles, a membership program, and more.

Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

Fairy Tales & Jungian Shadow Work

"Many of us are gifted with the ability to hold the darkness of others but we don't always know how to uncover it within ourselves."

This Creative Mind Audio is an excerpt from the free Shift Network video interview with Melissa Kim Corter: The Alchemy of Fairy Tales & Jungian Shadow Work.

Jungian depth psychologist Melissa Kim Corter comments, "Denzel Washington once said that some people will never like you because your spirit will irritate their demons.

"It took me years to understand that this is a gift that my warm and grounded presence can put people at ease to help them feel safe to unburden their hearts - yet others were instantly repelled by my presence."

She notes she was drawn to engage with Fairy Tales as a child: "There was something about these stories that allowed me to recognize patterns in my own life. They gave solutions. They had this magical and enchanting sort of quality where the natural world was alive and that really resonated deeply for me."

Corter writes on her Substack site Hauntingly Beautiful Things: "My ideas and words seem to resonate with those who never know their place.

"My psyche guides me as I write about the exiled parts of the mind, human behavior, and shadow. I collect broken pieces, like breadcrumbs, and try to make some sense of them. Putting them together in mythopoetic forms that speak to the soul.

"My writing blends psychology with symbolic forms found in film, fairy tales, and forensics. I have found value in the dark, misunderstood, and macabre dimensions of my personality..."

Perhaps you can relate. I certainly do.

Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

"Then I created a roadmap to guide me out of the dense fog of my illness and fear. I learned how to self-regulate my nervous system."

Dr Cathleen King, DPT, is a "doctor of physical therapy who teaches neuroscience principles, and is a mind-body practitioner."

This audio is an excerpt from her conversation at the 2025 Trauma Super Conference, titled "Trauma, Emotional Processing, and Physical Health."

A summary of topics:
*Why we should understand the science behind nervous system regulation
*How to separate trauma story from identity
*Self-regulation techniques to help with trauma therapy

» Free replay February 8 - 10, 2025 (also recordings) -
Trauma Super Conference - "50 internationally recognized trauma experts."

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A long journey into healing

📖 How Healing Happens - free guide by Cathleen King, DPT on "brain retraining and nervous system somatic healing...both the science and approach to self-healing for chronic illness and chronic stress."

[See link at bottom of page above to learn about her Membership program.]

In her guide, Cathleen King writes:

"I’ve personally walked the path of chronic illness (Lyme, mold toxicity, Chronic Fatigue, and more) with many debilitating symptoms, and felt completely overwhelmed with the fear that I might never return to a full and vibrant life.

"Like many of you, I went from doctor to doctor, piling up a staggering number of diagnoses and desperately trying treatments, many of which only made me feel worse."

She explains her experiences led her to become "obsessed with the drive to fix myself, spending endless hours frantically researching and unable to concentrate on anything else in my life.

"I know painfully well the spiral of loneliness, anger, and deep despair that comes with being told there is no chance of fully healing."

But, she adds, "then I created a roadmap to guide me out of the dense fog of my illness and fear.

"I learned how to self-regulate my nervous system and, astoundingly, to experience true joy and calm even while I was still experiencing difficult symptoms and limitations.

"My nervous system started to change. My brain began to rewire. And I began to trust my body could heal."

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Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

Empaths and highly sensitive people "aren't just open to trauma. They're open to everything, and it can feel traumatic when you're young and don't have any guidance." - Dr. Judith Orloff

"Our nervous system is picking up more information, receiving information that others don't, feeling things that others don't, which means sometimes having an uncontrollable body response to imperceptible changes in the environment." - Dr Aimie Apigian

In this excerpt from her biology of trauma podcast (episode #102 Strategies for Empaths: How to Navigate Sensory Overload, Shame & Trauma), trauma recovery physician Aimie Apigian talks with empathic psychiatrist Judith Orloff about some of the many aspects of being exceptionally responsive to emotions and sensory information for those of us who have a highly sensitive nervous system.

Dr Orloff says "I love being an empath. Yes, it has its challenges but so what? Everything has its different challenges."

She adds that being highly sensitive, "You get to feel everything. I get to feel the flowers, feel nature, I get to feel deep love and connection with people. I get to be in touch with the mystery and you know the the gorgeousness of Life on such a deep level."

Escaping an angry, bullying, bossy person

In the podcast, Dr Orloff recalls she was "in a situation recently with a group and this woman was trying to make a point and she got very authoritarian and loud and bullying and bossy.

"It was on a zoom call and I was supposed to be part of this meeting and I'm feeling, This isn't acceptable to me, and so I just told everyone have to leave."

See the Creative Mind Audio post for more, including links to resources:
How to navigate sensory overload and trauma as a highly sensitive person
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Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.

Meg Haworth, PhD recalls, "I grew up with a narcissistic parent in a toxic family system, and I also had all kinds of abuse growing up and spent a lot of time in my childhood being very sick."

This audio is an excerpt from a longer interview, talking about her adverse childhood experiences that led to her own healing and developing a mind body process that has helped many people gain clarity, health, and recovery.

Register free to view the full interview at The Shift Network (and learn about her related course): How to Heal Yourself From Toxic & Narcissistic Family Dynamics.

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Dr. Haworth notes "Sexual, physical, and emotional violation is debilitating. It can lead to unhealthy choices, poor personal boundaries and self-defeating patterns.

"All these things get stored in your body as memories that create pain and difficulties."

She adds, "I also drowned and had a near-death experience, and I was highly intuitive.

"I was so sensitive and psychic and empathic that I really just took on a lot of the abuse and a lot of the emotions that were coming my way, and really took it on as a part of me.

"And that led to illness. But it took me many many years to unwind this..."

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See video version of interview excerpt: Healing From Toxic and Narcissistic Family Dynamics.

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The left section of the image - family holiday gathering - is from article 5 Ways to Deal with Difficult Family Members During the Holidays and Beyond By Dr. Meg Haworth, The BusinessWoman Today, December 11, 2024.

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Support the show

Listen to episodes and see transcripts and resources in the Podcast section of The Creative Mind Newsletter and Podcast site.