For daughters of narcissistic or emotionally limited mothers, silence often doesn’t feel neutral. It can feel dangerous, like trouble is coming, like you’ve done something wrong. So we fill it. With explanations. With apologies. With reassurance.

In this episode, we explore how overcommunicating and overfunctioning develop as trauma responses, why sitting in silence can feel unbearable, and what it means to tolerate the aftermath of a decision without rescuing yourself or managing other people’s reactions.

If you’ve ever struggled with:

• overcommunicating as a trauma response

• feeling anxious when people don’t respond right away

• needing reassurance after setting boundaries

• people-pleasing or overfunctioning

• trusting yourself after narcissistic parenting

this conversation will likely resonate. We’ll reflects on what it means to “try soft and say less,” , how silence can activate old patterns from childhood, and why learning to tolerate being misunderstood is often a necessary part of healing and self-trust.

You don’t need to fix anything after listening. Just noticing the urge to fill the silence is already the work.

Some daughters grow up believing their story must be exaggerated, misunderstood, or somehow “too much” to be real.

Not because it wasn’t devastating. But because there was no safe adult to quietly confirm, This isn’t okay.

When harm is reinforced instead of interrupted, the nervous system doesn’t just adapt. It doubts itself.

This week’s episode is for the daughters who didn’t have a buffer. The ones who survived systems, not just people. The ones who learned to go it alone so early that loneliness can linger even after life becomes steadier.

If you’ve ever listened to other stories and wondered where you fit, you’re not wrong for asking. Your nervous system looking for proof.

You didn’t imagine how bad it was. And you’re not the only one.Learn More: MayhemDaughters.com

Have you ever noticed that you feel worse after seeing or talking to your mother? More anxious, irritable, shut down, flooded, or exhausted? If so, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I break down why your body and nervous system may flare up after contact with your mother, especially after you’ve done some healing work. We talk about why this reaction is not regression, not weakness, and not a sign that you’re doing anything wrong. Often, it’s a sign that your nervous system is more awake, more honest, and less willing to dissociate in order to survive.

You’ll learn how loosening a boundary with good intentions can still lead to nervous system dysregulation, why going back to old dynamics can feel harder once you see them clearly, and how your body responds when it’s holding two truths at the same time: “I used to survive this” and “I no longer should have to.”

I also walk you through how to tell whether you’re in intense dysregulation, more regulated, or living in the messy middle, and what actually helps in each state. Instead of forcing clarity or rushing into action, we focus on becoming a better friend to your nervous system and responding to what it’s truly asking for.

This episode is for daughters who feel confused by their reactions, frustrated by their bodies, or worried that healing is making things harder. There’s nothing wrong here. Your nervous system is simply doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Key takeaway: We don’t rush nervous systems into clarity. We earn their trust first.

Resources & Support: If you’re a member of the Mayhem Daughters community, you’ll find a companion post and worksheet inside The Work to help you walk through this in real time. If you’re not yet inside the community, you can learn more at MayhemDaughters.com