Helping you identify toxic communication, emotional abuse, manipulation, and other forms of bad behavior in relationships. Full of tips and advice for your friendships, family, love life, and marriage. Revealing covert abusive communication that takes away your power. Learn to pinpoint the specific toxic behaviors such as narcissistic abuse and verbal abuse before you are dragged into their game so deep you come out a shell of your former self. Love and Abuse is the official podcast of The M ...
Increase your emotional intelligence, strengthen your self-worth and self-esteem, and learn to make decisions that are right for you. This is the show for your best mental health and well-being. If you struggle with anxiety, depression, fears, stress, obsession, panic, or any relationship challenges like emotional abuse or family issues, this show will empower you to honor yourself and get into alignment with what's most important in your life. If positive thinking feels like denial, tune in ...
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Toxic bonds that might need breaking
1:13:03
1:13:03
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1:13:03
Don't let toxic people take your energy away from you. Often, those who deserve the most attentive and vibrant version of you won't see that until you've let go of the one person who keeps you feeling bad and drained. Sometimes you have to let someone go so that you can save the best of yourself for those who matter most.…
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Love and Abuse


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The huge wall the emotional abuser puts up
39:09
39:09
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39:09
Why can't they just change? Why don't they just stop hurting you? Sometimes they've built such a huge wall of protection around themselves that nothing can penetrate it. They keep doing what they're doing because they don't want you to see what's behind the wall. It's too vulnerable, and it might require them to express a part of themselves they've…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The next steps in a stuck relationship
1:05:44
1:05:44
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When the relationship isn't moving and is no longer enjoyable, what's the next step? Is it possible you're incompatible, even though you've been together for years? I talk about a couple of relationship issues in this episode, along with answering a question about if there are appropriate episodes for children and young adults.…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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When you feel like you're not that important to your friends and family
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Some relationships are one-sided. Friends, family, and lovers can fall into the listing "relation-ship," where half the relationship is sinking while the other half is oblivious of the side that's slowly disappearing into the depths. A one-sided relation-ship is a sinking one. And it cannot sustain itself.…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Boring, self-absorbed people or maybe you
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1:03:02
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A boring conversation can make you fall asleep. Some people seem not to be concerned if you care about what they're saying. They'll just talk and tell stories while you sit there, hoping that the fire alarm goes off to save you. Or, is it you I'm talking about?By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Walking your talk shows you who really wants you to be happy
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1:00:17
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One path to happiness may involve being someone you may sometimes feel uncomfortable being: Yourself. Walking your talk, putting yourself into the world and speaking your mind has its consequences... and its massive rewards.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Discovering those buried emotions that you'd like to release
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46:44
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If you can go through life without getting weighed down by negative memories, you're already ten steps ahead of many people. Some people still have repressed emotions that sneak up on them, keeping them from gaining any momentum. When that happens, every step forward can seem like two steps back. Uncovering old, buried emotions can liberate you so …
The emotionally abusive relationship can be a battle. In fact, it can be a series of battles that wear you down and eventually wear you out. But at what point are you so worn out that you do something different? Some toxic relationships last for decades and there is no end in sight. There's a point in time when something has to change, or nothing e…
The path to vulnerability doesn't make sense if you believe being vulnerable means you're weak or you'll feel exposed to a cruel world. Yes, there are people you can't be vulnerable around. But there are also those you can and maybe should be if you want to develop closer bonds. Vulnerability can be the scariest but most freeing thing to do. Don't …
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Where is my thank you? When you don't get acknowledgment for your kindness.
1:19:30
1:19:30
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Do you get upset if someone doesn't thank you for something nice you did? Common courtesy may not be as common as we think, so if we take apparent ungratefulness personally, we could set ourselves up for disappointment time and time again. Also in this episode, I read a message from someone who can't let go of trauma and abuse from their past.…
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Love and Abuse


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What will it take to finally get them to stop?
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32:48
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The person that hurts the one they love can do the behavior indefinitely unless someone is there to stop it. Usually, that someone has to be you. Stopping it however doesn't always come easy. Sometimes the person hurting you needs a wake-up call they can't ignore, shaking their foundation so much they have to pay attention.…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The possibility of reconciling with estranged family
1:11:33
1:11:33
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That one last fight you had with them changed the relationship forever. Some family does not forgive and move on. Some hold on to grudges and expect you to come groveling back. But if it's not your fault, should you? Do you want to reconnect but are waiting for them to apologize? If you have estranged friends or family, this episode may help you re…
We've all experienced the blahs. Maybe you've even been depressed (or are now). Sometimes it's difficult to get out of a space like that. When you've tried everything, what's left? There's more to healing than books, podcasts, therapy, and even friends or family. There's a deeper part of you that you may not have even met yet. Maybe it's time you d…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Why it seems impossible to defuse some arguments
1:25:10
1:25:10
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The argument goes on and on... then you're arguing again about the same thing later. Why does it seem that some arguments never end? I explore the reasons why and other issues when it comes to relating to other people in this extended episode.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The choices we make to avoid the choices we don't want to make
1:13:53
1:13:53
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Some of life's challenges seem impossible and we feel stuck. We can believe we have no choice when we probably do, but just don't like the one we have to make. There's a lot to be said about which choices we don't make that hold us back and which ones we do make that move us forward. And our method of making a hard choice can often be dependent on …
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The risk and reward of being yourself
1:00:37
1:00:37
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What happens when you walk around in fear of being your true self? What kind of foundation of confidence do you have that can help you to show up as authentic? I take you through the risk of authenticity and how you can change your life if you're willing to accept those risks.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The obligations and responsibilities that can exhaust us
59:21
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Sometimes there is so much to do and so many people to please that we lose ourselves doing everything for everyone but ourselves. It's time to reconnect and get back to who we are. That can seem like an impossible task sometimes but if we ignore it, we may become our own demise.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Is there really life outside the box or is this all there is?
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Our perception of the outside world is limited by the inner world we create. We only see what's inside our own box, sometimes not realizing there is so much more out there. I travel from perceptions to depression and even into addiction in this episode.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Afraid they'll discover you're a fraud - The Impostor Syndrome
1:17:12
1:17:12
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What do you do when you feel less about yourself than others feel about you? Somebody might think you're brilliant and clever but you might have the opposite feeling. You might even feel like a fraud. The impostor syndrome is when you believe something different about yourself than what others know to be true about you. And when you can't see in yo…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Helpful ways to respond to the difficult person
1:07:59
1:07:59
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Some people are just so difficult or toxic that no matter what you say, you can't get through to them. It's not just a matter of getting through to them all the time. Sometimes it's just about responding in a way that throws them off their game.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The negativity that likes to work its way into your mind and body
1:11:37
1:11:37
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Are you inadvertently allowing negativity into my mind and body? When someone puts you down or mistreats you, is it possible you are unintentionally enabling this behavior? You shouldn't be blamed for other people's bad behaviors, but you should also not be too tolerant of it either.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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The beliefs that serve you and the beliefs that don't
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1:03:02
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We can walk around with beliefs that lead us down the same road every time. When you know for sure what's true, yet you still get terrible results, maybe it's time to question what's true and look for what might be a possible new understanding that changes everything.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Punishing yourself for your mistakes
1:14:04
1:14:04
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It's bad enough to get punished by someone else when you make a mistake, but to compound the suffering by punishing yourself can make things so much worse. Sure, we can beat ourselves up for our own actions, but when we make a habit of it, our quality of life decreases and it's hard to enjoy the present moment.…
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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I promise this time I'll keep my promise
1:11:58
1:11:58
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How many times do you hear I'm sorry and I promise I'll never do it again" before you realize nothing is going to change? What if they do change? Can you reunite and start fresh and be good again? Today I talk about apologies, promises, relationships, and so much more.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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Some people just cannot admit that they are the problem
1:07:54
1:07:54
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You've called them out. You've had your arguments. You've tried everything to get someone to take responsibility for their words or actions. But you still can't get through to them. Some people are impossible and there's no hope. Is that true with certain people? Let's explore that.By Paul Colaianni
Relationships can survive even when things are bad, but what about when things are never good but just functional? Is just functioning together good enough? Can you make it work? Functioning together can make some of life easier, but not necessarily happier. I explore that topic today.By Paul Colaianni
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The Overwhelmed Brain


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I do so much for them for so little in return
1:07:43
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Sometimes no matter what you do for someone, they just don't have the capability to reciprocate. Love and connection can be welcome, but what if it isn't returned? The first segment addresses this challenge between a daughter and a mom. The second segment takes a little turn to share a story of a man dealing with a divorce he didn't expect.…