You're Not Crazy: A Podcast for the Adult Children of Parents with Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders

If you grew up with a parent who has borderline or narcissistic personality disorder, you know what it's like to have a crystal clear picture of what patterns you don’t want to repeat. 

The problem is that picture doesn't come with instructions for what it actually requires to do things differently, and that gap is where so many cycle breakers get stuck in a painful loop of tolerating too much, hitting a wall, and drowning in shame.

Whether you're a parent yourself, navigating your relationships, or just trying to figure out why you keep ending up in the same place, this episode is for you.

In this episode you'll learn:

The well-intentioned mistake almost every cycle breaker makes when they catch themselves acting like the parent they swore they'd never become

The exact moment the "I'll never do that again" promise gets made, and why it sets you up to feel more shame the next time you slip

The difference between white knuckling your way through and actually building a skill set that holds up when you're stressed and overwhelmed

How to swap self-judgment for curiosity when you notice yourself stuck in a familiar cycle

A reframe that takes these patterns out of "personal failure" territory and puts them where they actually belong: a skill deficit you can work on

If you've been holding it together with sheer willpower and bracing for the next time you slip, this one is a deep breath for you.
The Cycle Breaker's Vault is Torie's self-guided course for the adult children of parents with borderline and narcissistic traits covering dysfunctional family dynamics, boundaries, manipulation, grief, and reconnecting with yourself.

Get it at confidentboundaries.com.

Subscribe to You're Not Crazy: The Private Feed: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

Follow Torie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakertherapist 

Follow Torie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cyclebreakertherapist

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you grow up with a narcissistic mom or a mom with borderline personality disorder, Mother's Day hits different. The whole holiday is built on a story that doesn't match your reality, and it can feel like there’s no space for the reality you actually lived. 

Whether you're still in contact, low contact, no contact, or your mom has passed away, this day can bring up a complicated mix of feelings for adults who grew up with a mom who had borderline or narcissistic traits.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why Mother's Day is uniquely painful for adult children of narcissistic and BPD parents

The different challenges of navigating Mother’s Day when you are in-contact, no-contact, or your mom has passed

A simple exercise for making hard decisions (like whether to go to brunch, send a gift, or call)

How to be intentional about social media exposure on Mother's Day instead of doomscrolling into a spiral

What it actually looks like to cycle break on a hard day, not perfection, just kinder choices

If you're heading into Mother's Day bracing yourself, this one is for you.
The Cycle Breaker's Vault is Torie’s self-guided course for adult children of parents with borderline and narcissistic traits covering dysfunctional family dynamics, boundaries, manipulation, grief, and reconnecting with yourself. 

Get it at https://www.confidentboundaries.com/offers/goeNciz9/checkout

Subscribe to You're Not Crazy: The Private Feed: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private 

Follow Torie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakertherapist 

Follow Torie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cyclebreakertherapist

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Torie breaks down why dysfunctional families are so resistant to change, what actually happens when you bring new boundaries and skills back into your family, and why the pushback you're experiencing is not a sign you’re doing things wrong.

Listen to learn:

What sets a healthy-ish family apart from a dysfunctional one

Why your family's behavior can get worse when you start growing

Why pushback is not a sign you're doing something wrong

How to stop letting resistance talk you out of your boundaries

How to start making decisions based on who your family actually is today

If you've ever felt like the black sheep for simply trying to be an emotionally healthier version of yourself, this one is for you.
Go deeper on boundaries, radical acceptance, and understanding your family system inside The Cycle Breaker's Vault: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/offers/goeNciz9/checkout

Subscribe to You're Not Crazy: The Private Feed:

https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private 

Learn more about therapy with Torie:

https://toriewikselltherapy.com/ 

Follow Torie on Social:

https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakertherapist

https://www.tiktok.com/@cyclebreakertherapist

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I walk you through:

What patterns are common in narcissistic vs. borderline personality disorder

Why the diagnosis itself isn’t what matters most

What it feels like to grow up as a child dealing with a parent with these dynamics

The key differences in behavior, motivation, and emotional impact

Why these relationships feel so confusing, intense, and destabilizing

We also talk about emotional volatility, lack of empathy, and why being emotionally vulnerable with these parents isn’t a good idea.
Show Notes:

Get started with The Cycle Breaker's Vault: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/offers/goeNciz9/checkout

Subscribe to You're Not Crazy: The Private Feed:

https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private 

Learn more about therapy with Torie:

https://toriewikselltherapy.com/ 

Follow Torie on Social:

https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakertherapist

https://www.tiktok.com/@cyclebreakertherapist

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you grew up with a parent who had narcissistic or borderline traits, chances are no one ever showed you what being an emotionally healthy adult actually looks like.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why healing feels so confusing, messy, and unclear and what you actually need in order to move forward.

We’re talking about:

Why “I don’t want to be like them” isn’t enough to create healthy change

The skills cycle breakers were never taught growing up

How dysfunctional family systems create blind spots

What it actually takes to break the cycle

I’m also walking you through the exact framework I use inside The Cycle Breaker’s Vault so you can see what a real, practical roadmap looks like.
Show Notes:

Get started with The Cycle Breaker's Vault: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/offers/goeNciz9/checkout

Subscribe to You're Not Crazy: The Private Feed:

https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private 

Learn more about therapy with Torie:

https://toriewikselltherapy.com/ 

Follow Torie on Social:

https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakertherapist

https://www.tiktok.com/@cyclebreakertherapist

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.