loader from loading.io

When empathy is used against you

The Overwhelmed Brain

Release Date: 02/09/2025

Life isn't exactly fulfilling when you are holding on to upset toward someone show art Life isn't exactly fulfilling when you are holding on to upset toward someone

The Overwhelmed Brain

When you're holding on to that little bit of anger or upset about or toward someone else, maybe someone who is not even in your life anymore, it can decrease the quality of your happiness, maybe even diminishing it to a mere sliver of what it could be.  

info_outline
Stay in control or let it go? show art Stay in control or let it go?

The Overwhelmed Brain

Do we have to carry the weight of our past negative experiences into our future? Staying in control and letting go of it have the very same effect. I get into more detail about that in this episode about choice. 

info_outline
The games our loved ones play show art The games our loved ones play

The Overwhelmed Brain

"Go ahead, have a great time! Wait, are you leaving without me? What about my needs? No, I mean go ahead and have fun. I'll be good! Hey, don't feel bad about leaving me alone, I'll be fine. Oh, you don't feel bad? Why are you leaving me alone? How can you do this to me?" Need I say more? 

info_outline
What is love? show art What is love?

The Overwhelmed Brain

How you define love will be what you get from it. If you don't have a definition for love, you may get stuck with something that appears to be love, but is really something else altogether. If you are 100% happy with the people you love in your life, skip this episode.  

info_outline
Never put your faith in anyone who makes you feel unworthy show art Never put your faith in anyone who makes you feel unworthy

The Overwhelmed Brain

People who care about you should lift you up, not kick you when you're down. If someone keeps dragging you lower, trusting their words is like giving a vampire the keys to the blood bank.     

info_outline
When every argument is petty and unresolved show art When every argument is petty and unresolved

The Overwhelmed Brain

Arguing isn't fun, but if it's going to happen, it should at least be productive. But what if it's never productive and you never get anything resolved? That's the question I tackle today. 

info_outline
The big life lessons that can change everything for the better show art The big life lessons that can change everything for the better

The Overwhelmed Brain

There are some life lessons that we have to force ourselves to go through in order to make our circumstances better. Those lessons can feel like a massive leap over a bottomless chasm. But the rewards for such a leap can mean the difference between living a full life or one restricted by fear and uncertainty. 

info_outline
Am I really the problem? show art Am I really the problem?

The Overwhelmed Brain

If you find that you define yourself in a negative way based on someone else's perception of you, you must listen to this episode. Is what they're saying about you really true? If you think that, we need to address that right away.

info_outline
Should payback for bad behavior be a relationship norm? show art Should payback for bad behavior be a relationship norm?

The Overwhelmed Brain

What are your rights in a relationship with someone who is mistreating you or acting badly? Is it okay to get back at them and reciprocate with similar or worse behavior? What's fair in relationship warfare? Good question!

info_outline
Decluttering the overwhelmed brain show art Decluttering the overwhelmed brain

The Overwhelmed Brain

If you find your mind feels like an overstuffed closet, and your actual closet is also overstuffed, I'll try to help you balance the mental and physical clutter in this episode. It's a special episode that strays away from the norm, but hey, out of eleven years of doing this show, one off the beaten path isn't going to hurt.

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Some people can be draining, especially if they play the victim after they've done bad behavior and expect you to empathize with them. Some people are very, very good at doing that. I talk about those people today.