The Overwhelmed Brain

Emotional Intelligence for Critical Thinkers

The Dysfunction of The New Normal – Offending Defensive People

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Has dysfunction become the new normal for you? Are you in a relationship where your tolerance for bad behavior is so high that you don’t even recognize what’s bad for you anymore? That sounds like a topic for discussion if you ask me!

Also, I read a letter from someone who wants to know how to deal with defensive people. There is a path to working with those types, and becoming aggressive or offensive back is not typically the best way to handle their behavior. You may have to become a bit of a sleuth. I talk about that and more in today’s episode.

What Emotionally Abusive Communication Looks Like

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manipulation

The number of manipulative people in the world is probably a lot higher than you might imagine. Of course, maybe I have that perception because the majority of my clients are in manipulative relationships, and I just don’t see too many other types.

Back around 2010, I realized I was a manipulative person for most of my life. I used masterful communication skills to get my selfish needs met by those closest to me.

In every relationship I’ve ever been in, I found ways to manipulate my partner. It took several breakups and finally a divorce for me to realize that my behavior was the reason for all of the heartaches that kept appearing in my life.

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Utilize anger in a healthy way by honoring your boundaries

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Anger can rise up in you because of a violation of your personal boundaries, but do you even know what your boundaries are?

I like to think of boundaries as your castle walls. And within those walls lies your emotional core where you are most vulnerable yet most powerful at the same time.

Sometimes we feel anger and we aren’t even sure why. This episode will help you learn what your boundaries are so that you know at what point you can be pushed before you “lose it”.

Also, I read an email from someone who got so angry that he forgot what he said while he was in that state. You do have a choice to either utilize anger for your protection or to attack someone else.

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Healing from New Age Thinking – The fears in honoring yourself – The stolen childhood of Adult Children of Alcoholics

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Healing from New Age Thinking – The fears in honoring yourself – The stolen childhood of Adult Children of Alcoholics
Healing from New Age Thinking – The fears in honoring yourself – The stolen childhood of Adult Children of Alcoholics
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Healing from New Age Thinking – The fears in honoring yourself – The stolen childhood of Adult Children of Alcoholics

In this episode, I talk about positive thinking and bridging the gap between emotions and reason.

In the next segment, when you fear honoring yourself, what can you do? It’s great advice to tell someone: “Just honor your boundaries then you can start creating the life you want!” Which of course is something I say all the time. But what if you are just too afraid to?

In the last segment, I read a letter from an adult child of an alcoholic who felt that his playfulness was stripped away because of the state of fear he lived in growing up in an alcoholic household.