The Overwhelmed Brain
The Overwhelmed Brain
Paul Colaianni: Relationship and Emotional Abuse Expert
Get to the root of emotional issues and learn the best way to relate to yourself and others by honoring your personal boundaries and making decisions that are in alignment with what's most important to you. This is not a "common-sense" personal growth and development show. You won't be told to think positively or create affirmations. The Overwhelmed Brain is about accessing that deeper mental and emotional strength inside you so that you can decrease or even eliminate old fears and evolve into the person you want to be. Learn what your parents or caretakers never taught you about emotional wellness and creating strong, non-toxic bonds with others. If you want the exact instructions that will help improve your life, you're in the right place.
Follow up - Is it love or control
This is a follow-up episode for number 687: "Is it love or control?" Take time to reflect on 10 self-assessment questions based on the key themes from that episode. Pause between each question and be honest with yourself as you consider how these patterns show up in your life and relationships.
Oct 20
5 min
Is it love or control?
Feeling strangled by someone else's demands, guilt trips, or subtle punishments? In this episode, I provide a list of both loving and controlling behaviors so you have no doubt what's going on with you and someone else in your life.
Oct 18
37 min
When you just don't see eye to eye on everything and it's a big problem
Wanting different things than your partner (kids, stability, freedom) doesn't make you a bad person — it makes this relationship a system with incompatible "inputs." And if you feel torn or guilty about what to do, I've been there. And I'll walk you through the hard questions you need to ask before resentment becomes the default.
Oct 11
42 min
Grounding yourself to make the best decisions possible
Life is really all about a series of decisions from moment to moment. Most are no-brainers: You know when to eat, for example. But others can literally be life-changing. And for those, being grounded and sure about your decision is the best place to be before making it.
Oct 4
38 min
One way to stop the head games
Some conversations go down a path of dysfunction because one or both people refuse to be direct, or perhaps they're trying to manipulate to get a certain outcome. The head games that some people play are annoying and waste precious time that could be invested into the relationship instead of the toxicity.
Sep 27
44 min
How to express emotions for the emotionally unexpressive
If you feel stuck or awkward expressing emotions, I've been there! In this episode, I confront how avoidance, people-pleasing, fear of judgment, and more keep you emotionally distant from yourself and the people who want to connect with you.
Sep 20
37 min
The foundation of all dysfunctional behavior
Toxic, dysfunctional, and emotionally abusive behavior stem from the same foundational challenges in almost everyone. Learning what those challenges are and healing them can resolve carrying around years of future dysfunctional behavior.
Sep 13
41 min
Is toxic energy blocking the life you want?
What are the obstacles to peace, comfort, and happiness? You may be walking amongst people and things right now that are literally draining positivity from your life.
Sep 6
35 min
Are you living your life on a foundation of fears and insecurities?
Sometimes what drives our decisions isn't necessarily what has our best interests in mind. Old survival mechanisms can be running the show, steering us into unfavorable outcomes without us even realizing it. Better outcomes require learning what exactly is driving our behaviors at the deepest level.
Aug 30
41 min
Can you get more time with someone without controlling what they do with their time?
You're not crazy for feeling lonely in a relationship where schedules clash and one of you seems to be filling their time with other things to do. Hmm... what's really going on in this relationship. I answer a listener's question about this very thing in this episode, plus talk a little bit about minimizing and letting go of clutter and overwhelm.
Aug 23
34 min
Load more