115. After a Narcissistic Smear Campaign: Telling the Truth Isn’t the Question
When you’ve been the target of a narcissistic smear campaign, the urge to defend yourself can feel unbearable.You want to explain, correct the record, and be believed. But here’s the truth: healing after narcissistic abuse isn’t about proving your innocence. it’s about reclaiming your peace.In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we unpack what happens when daughters are scapegoated, misunderstood, or cut off after setting boundaries with a narcissistic or emotionally limited parent. We talk about how to stay grounded in your truth without getting pulled back into the family system’s chaos You’ll learn:Why smear campaigns happen and how they exploit fear, loyalty, and the need for belonging.What to do when you’re misrepresented by a narcissistic mother, father, or sibling.The difference between silence and suppression and how to know which serves your healing.How to decide who has earned your vulnerability (and who hasn’t).Ways to stay regulated when others spread lies or twist your story.How to rebuild safety, self-trust, and peace after family estrangement or going no contact.This is real talk for daughters who are ready to stop defending themselves and start living their truthJoin Mayhem inside our Group or Community over at MayhemDaughters.com
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114. Reclaiming Safety, Power, and Self-Trust After Trauma
What happens when you’ve survived the chaos but still don’t feel safe inside your own skin?In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we unpack what it really means to reclaim safety, power, and self-trust after trauma, especially after growing up with a narcissistic or emotionally limited mother.You’ll learn:*Why your nervous system still scans for danger even when life is calm.*How to tell the difference between trauma brain and wise mind.*What integration actually looks like: when your body starts to believe what your wise mind already knows.*How boundaries protect your peace (and why pushback means they’re working).*Practical steps for rebuilding self-trust when control used to equal safety.This is a look at the messy middle of healing, that in-between stage where trauma isn’t running the show anymore but it’s still backstage waiting for its cue.If you’ve ever wondered why peace feels uncomfortable, why your body doesn’t believe your progress, or how to feel safe in your own story again, this episode is for you.Find us at MayhemDaughters.com to learn more.
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113. It’s Not Trauma, It’s Life. WTF Do You Do With That?
Sometimes it isn’t about trauma brain or nervous system talk. Sometimes it’s just about life being messy and complicated and still leaving you asking, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?In this episode, I answer two big questions from a daughter:Trust after rupture: What do you do when someone you love, someone you thought was safe, lashes out, apologizes, and takes responsibility…but you’re still hurt and not sure where to put it? We talk about what it means when trust gets shaken in relationships, how to stop pretending everything’s “fine,” and why real healing comes from honest conversations, not band-aids.Self-doubt at work: What happens when you’re offered a leadership opportunity you’ve always wanted but instead of celebrating, you’re stuck in fear of messing it up, losing respect, or not being “ready”? I share the real talk about stepping into leadership, owning your power, and saying yes to more without waiting to feel 100% confident first.If you’ve ever struggled with rebuilding trust, navigating self-doubt, or stepping into leadership while carrying the wounds of being a daughter of a narcissistic or emotionally limited mother, we’ve got you covered today.You’ll walk away with:-Clarity on why ruptures in close relationships matter (and what to do about them).-Practical ways to rebuild trust without gaslighting yourself.-Real talk on how to step into leadership even when fear and insecurity show up.-Encouragement to stop waiting to feel “ready” and start saying yes to the life you want.Because sometimes it’s not trauma. It’s just life. And you still deserve to know what to do next.Head to MayhemDaughters.com to join Group, our community, or to become a sponsor of the show.
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112. Finding Yourself After Narcissistic Abuse: Healing Identity, Rage, and Grief
What happens when you’ve spent a lifetime unseen, unchosen, and defined by someone else’s story? In this episode of Mother Mayhem, a daughter asks: Who Am I, really? Together, we explore:Why daughters of narcissistic or emotionally limited mothers often feel dissociated or split from themselvesHow dissociation shows up in daily life and gentle ways to come back into the presentWhy listening and gathering resources without acting is a trauma response, not a failureHow to begin bridging head and heart after years of survival modeWhat to do with rage and grief when confronting a mother won’t bring healingHow identity is reclaimed, not reinvented and why it’s never too late to beginThis episode offers both a clinical lens and a community one. It reminds daughters that healing happens in connection, not isolation.If you’ve ever wondered who you are beyond the roles you were given, or how to carry rage and grief without being consumed by them, this conversation will meet you right where you are.And if you’re looking to be a sponsor of the show or want to know more about connecting with other Mayhem daughters, you can find us at MayhemDaughters.com
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111. The Messy Middle of Healing: Regret, Relationships, and the Fight for Peace After Trauma
Healing from childhood trauma isn’t a straight line. There’s a very messy middle. In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we explore what that messy middle really looks like for daughters of narcissistic or emotionally limited mothers.We’ll talk about:Regret in healing: Why it shows up, why it feels like such a gut punch, and how to reframe regret as a sign of growth instead of failure.Relationships under pressure: How marriage, friendships, and partnerships can feel like they’re combusting when one person begins to heal.The nervous system’s role: Why trauma brain makes joy feel unsafe, why peace is often the real goal, and why partners may misinterpret trauma responses as rejection or complaint.The shock of change: How the people we chose in our fawning, conflict-avoiding, or numbed-out selves often feel destabilized when we start showing up differently.Getting practical: From naming trauma brain in real time, to practicing repair, to re-choosing relationships with new self-awareness.This conversation will help you understand why healing feels so raw, why regret can actually be a milestone, and how to navigate the bumps in relationships with clarity and compassion.Whether you’re in the thick of regret, feeling misunderstood by your partner, or noticing how your healing is shaking up your closest connections, this episode will give you language, validation, and tools for the journey.Resources & Next StepsLearn more about the Mayhem Daughters community: MayhemDaughters.com. Listen to earlier episodes on relationships and healing: Ep. 72 & Ep. 94
Sobre Mother Mayhem: For Daughters of Narcissistic or Emotionally Limited Mothers
Welcome to Mother Mayhem, the podcast for daughters of narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers. I’m Heather Gray, licensed therapist and narcissistic abuse recovery expert. If you're healing from the mother wound, emotional neglect, or childhood trauma, you’re in the right place.
Start with the first 8 episodes—they lay the foundation for your healing. Learn to understand your experience, set boundaries, and build more honest, grounded relationships. Listener questions are welcome. You’re not alone. Other daughters are here. I am, too.
Ouça Mother Mayhem: For Daughters of Narcissistic or Emotionally Limited Mothers, Autoconsciente Podcast | Vida interior e muitos outros podcasts de todo o mundo com o aplicativo o radio.net
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