In this episode, I'm talking about:• The fentanyl crisis (it's NOT like the drugs of our generation)• What "nodding out" really looks like• The broken rehab system (why it's easier to stay high than get help)• How to love an addict without enabling them• The promise I made: "I will never give up on you"This story doesn't have an ending yet. My son is still fighting. And I'm still learning.⚠️ Content Warning: Drug addiction, fentanyl overdose, death, ongoing addiction without resolution, language💜 Resources + Free Download:"Loving an Addict: A Parent's Survival Guide" realtalkwithniki.com/addictionYour child is not a bad person. They're a sick person. And sick people deserve help.Real Talk with NikiHelping survivors become the storm ⚡️and rewrite the rulesIn memory of Shanny Girl 💜

"You're too young to feel this way."For 10 years, I heard that line from doctors who dismissed my symptoms, prescribed the wrong medications, and made me believe I was making it all up.I wasn't depressed. I was misdiagnosed.In this episode, I'm talking about:• Medical gaslighting and how it happens to women 2-3x more than men• The 10-year journey to my bipolar diagnosis• 10 red flags you're being medically gaslighted• The Medical Advocacy Action Plan (how to fight back)• Iatrogenic harm: when doctors cause damage by not listening⚠️ Content Warning: Medical trauma, mental health stigma, misdiagnosis, medication side effects💜 Resources + Free Download:The Medical Gaslighting Survival Kit (10 Red Flags + Advocacy Scripts)realtalkwithniki.com/medicalYou're not imagining it. You're not overreacting. And you're not crazy.Real Talk with NikiHelping survivors become the storm ⚡️and rewrite the rules

The Trans Am story continues. After forcing me to sell it, he replaced it with a "safer" car—a 1980s Honda Civic with no working seatbelts in the back (where my kids sat), exhaust fumes leaking into the cabin, a passenger door that wouldn't close, and no heat.When I complained about the safety issues, he called me ungrateful. "It runs, doesn't it?"This is the anatomy of weaponized generosity: when abusers frame their "help" as a favor, then punish you for noticing it's worse than what you had before.Today I'm breaking down:• What weaponized generosity is• How abusers use "I did this FOR you" as a weapon• The difference between genuine help and conditional safety• 7 red flags to spot this pattern• What to do if you're experiencing this nowContent Warning: Financial abuse, unsafe living conditions, manipulation, gaslightingResources: realtalkwithniki.com

**Content Warning:** Death, healthcare work, burnout, compassion fatigue, spiritual experiences with dying

** Healthcare workers, caregivers, empaths experiencing compassion fatigue, people who've forgotten to live their own lives

** "The Caregiver's Survival Guide: Preventing Compassion Fatigue" (PDF) @ www.realtalkwithniki.com

**Episode Length:** 42-50 minutes

‼️Content Warning:** Death, grief, loss, complicated bereavement, ambiguous loss‼️ Grief: The natural response to loss. Not just death—loss of any kind. Loss of a relationship, loss of who someone used to be, loss of the future you expected.

‼️Financial Abuse, Coercive Control, and Emotional Manipulation‼️ If someone makes you get rid of something that represents YOUR freedom, YOUR joy, YOUR independence... thats NOT love. That's control.

Keep your Trams Am. Whatever it is. KEEP it!

use the link below to download the "Financial Control Red Flags Checklist" ↓↓IG TikTok @realtalkwithniki link in bio

https://linktr.ee/realtalkwithniki

Feeling exhausted and running on empty? Time for an energy audit. Niki teaches her "People, Places & Things" framework to identify exactly where you're hemorrhaging energy - and it's not just toxic people. Learn to spot energy vampires, recognize draining places, and let go of what's keeping you stuck. Includes self-assessment and practical boundary tools. For empaths, caregivers, and anyone who's forgotten to save energy for themselves. Free Energy Audit download in show notes.

Key Takeaways:

• The People, Places & Things framework for energy auditing
• How to identify energy vampires vs energy givers
• Why "the vacuum can wait" became Niki's life philosophy
• Self-assessment: Where are YOU giving too much?
• Setting boundaries to reclaim your energy
• 
  

Free Download: Energy Audit Self-Assessment https://linktr.ee/realtalkwithniki

Grab the free Boundary Blueprint. Clic the link ⤵ https://linktr.ee/realtalkwithniki

Second, if you're thinking 'I need help actually DOING this' - I have a few spots open for 1:1 coaching go yo Instagram or TikTok @realtalkwithniki, link in bio, book a free discovery call. We'll talk about where you're stuck and how I can help.That's @realtalkwithniki. See you there."