A hundred conversations. A hundred chances to tell the truth. A hundred reminders that healing is possible—even when it’s messy, slow, and still unfinished.

In this episode, we’re not breaking anything down. We’re building something up. Together.

You’ll hear two powerful stories from daughters who’ve done the hard work of healing, of making peace with who they were, so they could become who they are.

These aren’t just feel-good stories. They’re proof. That the work works. That you're not alone. That your story matters.

Whether you’ve been here since Episode 1 or just found your way in, this one is for you.

For every daughter who’s listened quietly. For every daughter who’s whispered, “me too.” For every daughter building a life by her own design. Thank you.

Here’s to the next hundred.

Join us: Tuesday Group or Thursday Group

You're welcome: Mayhem Daughters, our online community of daughters.

What happens when going no contact with your narcissistic or emotionally abusive mother means losing more than just the relationship with her?

In this powerful follow-up to Episode 92, we hear from Coraline—a daughter who’s already done the impossible: named the abuse, broken the cycle, and chosen to protect her peace. But what happens when that decision triggers suicide threats, family pressure, and the fear of losing connection with your father or siblings?

In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we explore:

• How narcissistic mothers use guilt, threats, and emotional blackmail to collapse your boundaries

• What to do when your mother says she’ll kill herself if you cut contact

• How to respond to family members who pressure you to "keep the peace"

• The difference between being compassionate and being complicit

• Scripts and mindset shifts to help you hold the line—even when it’s painful

• Why no contact is not the end of your healing—but the beginning of your reclaiming

If you’ve ever felt trapped between your own well-being and your family’s expectations, this episode is for you.

Join Tuesday Group or Thursday Group: Weekly support for daughters of narcissistic or emotionally limited mothers

• Explore the Mayhem Daughters community

💬 If this episode resonates with you, please consider leaving a rating or review. It helps other daughters find the show—and reminds you that your story, and your healing, matter.

Have you ever been called ungrateful, selfish, or disloyal by your mother just for setting a boundary, speaking your truth, or simply because you exist?

In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we’re talking about what happens when a narcissistic or emotionally limited mother turns the tables and calls you the problem.

Whether she accuses you of betrayal, labels your healing as disloyalty, or punishes you for pulling away, the pain of these attacks runs deep and can leave daughters drowning in guilt, confusion, and shame.

We’ll unpack:

• Why narcissistic mothers often accuse their daughters of being ungrateful or selfish

• How emotional abuse and gaslighting distort your reality and erode your self-trust

• What it really means when a mother can’t love, not because she won’t, but because she’s emotionally incapable

• The difference between actual selfishness and the healthy self-protection daughters are entitled to

• How to anchor into your wise mind when trauma brain tells you to go back and fix it

  You are not the problem and in this episode, you’ll learn how to start believing that.

• Join Tuesday Group or Thursday Group: Supportive spaces for daughters navigating the mother wound

• Learn more about the Mayhem Daughters community

If this episode spoke to you, please consider leaving a rating or review. It helps other daughters find the show and reminds the algorithm (and me) that these conversations matter.

In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we’re talking about one of the most emotionally damaging tactics used by narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers: the silent treatment.

This episode explores the emotional and psychological effects of the silent treatment and provides listeners with strategies to heal and regain control of their lives.

When your narcissistic mother uses silence as a weapon, it doesn’t just hurt in the moment. It lingers, leaving you trapped in a cycle of self-doubt, anxiety, and emotional chaos.

Learn how to recognize these behaviors for what they are: emotional manipulation. Learn how to break free from the cycle of seeking approval and validation from someone who will never give it to you.

Key points discussed in this episode:

• The Silent Treatment as Emotional Manipulation: Understanding how the silent treatment is used by narcissistic mothers to control, manipulate, and emotionally harm.
  

• The Impact on Your Nervous System: Why silence triggers fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses and how this affects your mental health and emotional regulation.
  

• Breaking the Cycle: Practical steps to stop chasing approval and reclaim your peace.
  

• Nervous System Regulation and Self-Trust: How calming your nervous system and rebuilding self-trust is crucial for healing from the silent treatment.
  

• Moving Beyond the Silence: What to do when your mother’s silence ends, how to prepare for re-engagement, and how to protect yourself from falling back into old patterns.
  

Healing Strategies:

This episode provides actionable advice to help you:

• Recognize the toxic patterns of behavior from your narcissistic mother.

• Manage anxiety and emotional overwhelm caused by the silent treatment.
  

• Focus on self-trust and emotional regulation to reclaim your peace.
  

• Set boundaries and break free from the need for external validation.

Mayhem is here to support you as you navigate the complexities of healing from narcissistic abuse. The journey may be long, but breaking the cycle of emotional manipulation starts today.

If you’re ready to stop chasing approval and reclaim your peace, join us in Mayhem Daughters, our trauma-informed community where daughters of narcissistic mothers come together to heal and support each other.

Check out the Tuesday Group and Thursday Group, where you’ll find the connection, support, and guidance you need on your journey of healing.

Also mentioned: Simple Scripts for Saying Hard Things

In today’s episode of Mother Mayhem, we dive deep into the process of healing from narcissistic abuse and I offer insight into how daughters of narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers can begin to trust themselves and find joy in their lives again.

If you've struggled to feel safe in your body, or have a hard time trusting yourself after years of emotional neglect or narcissistic manipulation, this episode is for you. I walk you through the three key pillars of healing: nervous system safety, emotional processing, and self-trust.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• Understanding the role of the nervous system in healing from trauma

• How to process your emotions safely and without fear of being overwhelmed

• The importance of self-trust in healing and how to start rebuilding it

• Learning to embrace vulnerability and enjoy life despite your past trauma

• Why healing from narcissistic abuse isn’t a one-time fix but a continuous journey of self-compassion and growth

• Grief as a part of healing: How it helps us let go of the past

• Reclaiming joy and learning to connect with others around you without fear of being hurt again
  

Want to feel more supported on your healing journey?

Join Mayhem Daughters, our online community for Daughters

Bring it to TUESDAY GROUP

Bring it to THURSDAY GROUP

Find me at: Heather@DaughtersNPD.com to get more information or share your story.

Also mentioned: Simple Scripts for Saying Hard Things

Welcome to Mother Mayhem, the podcast for daughters of narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers. In today’s episode, we dive into one of the most common struggles many daughters face: questioning whether their childhood trauma and mother wound "count."

If you've ever found yourself wondering, "Am I overreacting?" or "Is my experience really trauma?" this episode is for you. Whether you’ve been dealing with emotional neglect, narcissistic manipulation, or toxic family dynamics, it’s common to doubt the validity of your feelings.

In this episode, we explore:

• The struggle of self-doubt: How trauma brain and wise mind are often at odds, leaving you stuck in a loop of questioning whether your experiences are “bad enough” to be considered trauma.
  

• The shame spiral: Why you may feel guilty or ashamed for even acknowledging the pain of your mother wound, and how this internal conflict can keep you stuck in emotional turmoil.
  

• Understanding narcissistic abuse: How narcissistic mothers and emotionally limited parents create environments where their daughters question their reality and invalidate their feelings.
  

• Practical tips for breaking the cycle: Tools and strategies to help you navigate the tension between your trauma brain and wise mind, so you can start validating your own experiences and reclaiming your peace.
  

If you’re wondering whether your trauma “counts” or if you feel like you’ve been stuck in a cycle of doubt and guilt, this episode will help you understand why—and more importantly, how to break free.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Tuesday Group

• Thursday Group

• Mayhem Daughters

• Simple Scripts for Saying Hard Things
  

Support the Show: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share it with someone who might benefit. Your support helps the show reach more daughters in need of community and healing.

What happens when healing from trauma starts to change everything—your identity, your relationships, even your marriage?

In this episode of Mother Mayhem, I read a powerful letter from a daughter who has done the work to heal… and now finds herself in a life that no longer fits.

She’s changed. Her needs have changed. But her marriage hasn’t—and now she’s wondering: What do I do with the life I built before I healed?

This episode reflects on the cost of becoming your true self after narcissistic abuse or emotional neglect—especially when trauma recovery brings clarity, grief, and new truths that are impossible to ignore.

You’ll hear themes around:

• Healing from trauma and mother wounds

• Identity shifts in long-term relationships

• What daughters of narcissistic mothers learn to tolerate

• The difference between repair and real healing

• Why self-trust can feel like betrayal

• How shame keeps us from taking up space in our own lives
  

Whether you’re rethinking your relationship, your career, or your place in the world, this episode will meet you right where you are—and remind you: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to abandon yourself to keep the peace.

• Join the Mayhem Daughters community

• Tuesday Group

  Thursday Group

• Also mentioned: Simple Scripts for Saying Hard Things
  

Subscribe, rate, and share with someone who needs it. Your healing is valid. Your needs are allowed. Your story matters.

This week, we tackle a situation you daughters of narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers know all too well: how to respond when your mothers emotionally manipulate and use guilt to control you.

Today, we’re breaking down the difference between guilt and shame—how guilt, in its healthiest form, can help you improve yourselves, while shame distorts your sense of self-worth and keeps you stuck in unhealthy patterns.

Narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers excel at cultivating this shame, making it incredibly difficult for you daughters to set boundaries and honor your own feelings.

This episode explores the trauma responses that daughters of narcissistic mothers often experience—particularly the internalized guilt and shame that cloud judgment, lead to second-guessing, and prevent healing

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The difference between guilt and shame, and how they show up in relationships with narcissistic or emotionally limited mothers.

• Why narcissistic mothers use shame to manipulate their children and how it can impact self-worth.

• Practical steps for recognizing emotional manipulation and setting healthy boundaries.

• The importance of retraining your nervous system to see the difference between healthy boundaries and emotional manipulation.

• How healing isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress and taking care of your emotional needs, one step at a time.

Join the Community:

If you are ready to stop carrying the weight of emotional manipulation and start setting boundaries that honor your peace, come join us in Tuesday Group or Thursday Group . Each week, daughters from all over the world meet in these groups to share, heal, and support each other through their unique journeys.

You can also find healing and connection in Mayhem Daughters, our private online community where women come together to reclaim their voices and find support in navigating life after narcissistic abuse.

Also mentioned: Simple Scripts for Saying Hard Things

Remember, healing is a process, and it’s okay to take it one day at a time. You are seen, you are heard, and most importantly, you are not alone.