In This Episode, We Cover: What PTSD nightmares really are (and what they are not)Why nightmares are repetitive, immersive, and fully sensoryHow the nervous system uses dreams as survival drillsThe physical and cognitive toll of years of disrupted sleepWhy nightmares don’t fade—they end when danger endsHow going no-contact and leaving abusive systems changes the brainWhat happens to dreams once safety becomes realWhy memory blocks and “closed doors” are signs of intelligence, not failureThe d...
Feb 2
21 min
CPTSD: The Ultimate Time Loop (and the Starship That Keeps Exploding) Living with complex trauma can feel like being trapped in a time loop. Not a memory—but many of them. All active. All urgent. All happening now. In this solo episode, Alexis explores CPTSD through an unexpected but painfully accurate lens: a classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode where the Enterprise keeps exploding—over and over—while the crew senses something is wrong long before they consciously remember why....
Jan 1
18 min
Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood—and most weaponized—concepts trauma survivors are taught to accept without question. In this solo episode of When the Bough Breaks, Alexis dismantles forgiveness from every angle: the dictionary definition, the religious mandate, the mainstream self-help narrative, and what forgiveness actually looks like when you’ve survived abuse, neglect, estrangement, or long-term harm. If you’ve ever been told you can’t heal until you forgive, this episode...
Jan 1
12 min
Some families don’t just keep secrets—they assign children the responsibility of protecting them. In this episode of our series Healing for the Holidays, Alexis explores the often-unnamed role of the dark secret keeper in narcissistic households: the child who is expected to know what happened, never speak about it, never grieve it, and carry it quietly into adulthood. Through personal storytelling and trauma-informed insight, this episode examines how coerced silence...
Dec 29, 2025
17 min
When Grief Becomes a Weapon Chances are, you’ve probably lived this every holiday—just never had a name for it. In this cheeky solo episode, Alexis breaks down annual family trauma rituals, how to spot them in real time, and how to cope. Stay tuned. Part of our Healing for the Holidays series #grief #depression #healing #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #familyestrangement #trauma #ptsd #estrangement #narcissisticabuse #loss #bereavement #copingwithloss #christmas Send us Fan Mail Support...
Dec 25, 2025
23 min
Grief and depression are often treated as the same thing—but they’re not. And confusing the two can leave people feeling broken, misdiagnosed, or deeply misunderstood. In this special Christmas Eve “Healing for the Holidays” episode of When the Bough Breaks, Alexis explores the nuanced differences between grief and depression, where they overlap, and why so many people struggle to name what they’re actually experiencing. Through lived insight and grounded reflection, this episode dismantles...
Dec 25, 2025
16 min
On this episode of When the Bough Breaks Podcast, we get a very special visit from the doc himself, Dr. Robb Kelly (As seen on TV!) But he didn't get his double PHD until after struggling with his own addiction which led to his estrangement. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse ,you don't want to miss this episode. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
Nov 3, 2024
33 min
Special guest Eli Honeycutt of OdysseyLifeAdventures shares his experience growing up Jehovah's Witness while coming to terms with his sexuality and the estrangement following his separation from the cult. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
Oct 27, 2024
33 min
Coach, author and speaker Janice Selbie shares her experience of divorcing her religion and the family estrangement that soon followed. https://www.divorcing-religion.com/https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhyTXTIM9kdTJ1jW-Ckb5g People can write to Janice at [email protected] Her book entitled Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78TZZF BIO Janice Selbie grew up in a Pentecostal f...
Oct 14, 2024
28 min
Though our guest Alexander Desmerais suffered the most vile of childhood traumas, and continues to be estranged from any meaningful family bonds, he has developed a productive approach to life that should serve as an example to all of us. He reminds us that no matter how terrible an experience, it is temporary. He goes on to teach us that trauma is as impermanent as we’re willing to do the work to make it. ...Alexander Desmarais is an undergraduate student working to become a counselor. ...
Feb 21, 2021
1 hr 17 min
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