Unapologetically Sensitive

Attachment Injuries and OCD: The Healing Continues Summary   Patricia discusses her experience with OCD and attachment injuries while Jen, is on vacation. She explores her fears and insecurities about asking for support and needing connection. Patricia reflects on the importance of consistent communication and creating containers to improve nervous system regulation. She also delves into her child...

Annoyance & Acceptance: Managing Emotions in Friendships   Jen and Patricia discuss the importance of naming and accepting emotions, including annoyance, as well as the challenges of communication and managing expectations in their friendship. They share personal experiences and strategies for navigating difficult feelings, emphasizing the value of patience and trust in their conversations. They d...

The Importance of Self-Regulation, Self-Compassion and Connection   Patricia discusses her feelings of annoyance and disappointment when her scheduled recording with Jen is cancelled. The conversation highlights the complexities of managing emotions and maintaining healthy boundaries in relationships. She also discusses her experience of transitioning from an expansive state to a contractive state...

Navigating Reconnection after Rupture: Messiness Is a Healthy Part of Relationships   Patricia and Jen discuss the challenges of reconnecting after a rupture in their relationship. They explore the fear of not being able to get back to normal and the desire for rupture and repair in significant relationships. They also discuss the importance of authenticity, setting boundaries, and being clear abo...

Taking up Space and Expressing Your Feelings is Important for Healing Attachment Injuries   Patricia shares her experiences of her recent trip to Chicago. She discusses the challenges she faced in navigating changes in plans and the emotions that arose during her son's graduation from boot camp. Patricia also explores the importance of creating a secure attachment in her relationship with Jen and...

Anger and Attachment: Navigating Different Neurotypes Within a Relationship Patricia and Jen explore the dynamics of attachment injuries, ADHD, and autism within their friendship. They explore the challenges of communication, time orientation, and emotional regulation. They touch on the concept of platonic life partnership and the challenges navigating different attachment styles and the impact of...

PDA & Empowering Autonomy: Navigating Uncertainty and Travel Preparation   Patricia discusses her experiences with attachment injuries, being activated, anxiety, and preparing for travel. She shares insights into managing her emotions and navigating relationships through the lens of autism with a PDA profile. Patricia asserts her need for autonomy, feelings of powerlessness, and the challenges of...

Friendships Paradigms: Monogamy and Polyamory and Platonic Partnerships   Patricia discusses the concept of monogamy and polyamory in friendships and platonic partnerships. She explores how the traditional view of monogamy has a hierarchy when one person enters a romantic relationship. Neurodivergent folks often have closer friendships that are more like platonic partnerships. Patricia shares her...

Attachment: Self-Compassion, Recognizing & Healing Unblended Parts   Patricia and Jen discuss their personal experiences with attachment injuries and how it affects their relationship. They explore the challenges of communication and the impact of past traumas. Patricia shares insights from her recovery journey, drawing parallels between her eating disorder and her attachment struggles. They empha...

Healing Attachment Wounds: Navigating Tough Conversations with Love   Patricia discusses her ongoing work on attachment wounds and her recent conversation with her mother about her childhood. She emphasizes the privilege of being able to have these conversations and acknowledges that not everyone has that opportunity. Patricia also explores expectations in her relationship with Jen, highlighting t...

Expansion and Contraction: Honoring Your Rhythms   In this conversation, Patricia and Jen discuss their personal experiences with stress, burnout, and the challenges of navigating relationships. They explore the importance of self-compassion, the need for rest and downtime, and the impact of attachment wounds on their interactions. They also touch on the concept of Internal Family Systems (IFS) an...

Managing Expectations: Showing Up for Yourself During Hard Times   Jen and Patricia discuss attachment wounds in their friendship. They explore the importance of self-awareness, setting boundaries, and managing expectations. They highlight the need for compassion & understanding when dealing with attachment issues & emphasize the ongoing work of healing & growth. In this conversation, Patricia sha...

Attachment Wounds: OCD, Projection, Managing Dysregulation   Patricia candidly discusses her experiences with attachment wounds, OCD tendencies, projection and trauma responses with Jen, and how this is showing up in their relationship. Patricia shares what her OCD thoughts tend to look like. Through introspection and vulnerability, Patricia reflects on the impact of past traumas on her emotional...

Attachment Wounds: A Follow Up Conversation   Jen and Patricia reflect on their recent challenge (see episode 241), and they discuss the importance of taking responsibility for their own needs and emotions. They explore the impact of attachment wounds and the challenges of navigating relationships. They talk about what trauma and reenactment looks like in a relationship. They also discuss the need...

Attachment Wounds: When You Can't Work It Out In The Moment   Patricia reflects on her attachment wounds & something that happened with Jen. She emphasizes that the issue was not a rupture in her relationship, but rather her own trauma and wounding. She reassures listeners that they are doing fine & have navigated the situation with honesty & grace. Patricia also touches on the importance of doing...

Navigating Grief, Uncertainty & Travel Through the Lens of Attachment Patricia and Jen discuss navigating uncertainty and overwhelm, managing change and unexpected situations, balancing personal needs, the power of communication and validation, finding meaning and value in relationships, coping with anxiety and catastrophic thinking, choosing to assume the best, managing energy and boundaries, sec...

Being "Too Much" is a Narrative that needs to be Re-examined   Summary   Patricia discusses the wound of too muc h and how it can impact relationships. Too much is about BOTH people and the capacity of the other person. This is a narrative that needs to be reexamined, and the context of both people needs to be addressed. She explores the intersection of neurodivergence, trauma, and socialization....

Learning to Trust Yourself and Finding Peace in Your Own Rhythm   Patricia discusses her experience when her husband is away. She shares her journey of managing attachment wounds, and the challenges of household responsibilities. Patricia also explores the impact of autistic burnout and ADHD on her ability to stay on top of things. She emphasizes the importance of honoring autonomy and considering...

Unmasking & Authentic Communication: Navigating Differences in Relationships   Patricia and Jen discuss the challenges of unmasking and being authentic in relationships including the role of PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy). They explore the narratives we have about ourselves and how they can impact our interactions with others. They also delve into the differences in communication styles and pe...

Exploring Neurodivergence in Relationships: Understanding Unique Perspectives In this conversation, Patricia and Jen discuss their struggles with linear content and their values of focusing on relational topics. They explore the challenges of staying true to their authentic selves while creating content. The conversation also delves into the dynamics of their relationship and the growth they have...

Red & Green Flags in Relationships   Patricia discusses red flags and ideal qualities in relationships. She emphasizes the importance of honoring rhythms and self-care, as well as effective communication and conflict resolution. Patricia also addresses gaslighting, setting boundaries, and the significance of trust, honesty, and similar values in a relationship. She explores the impact of political...

Navigating Miscommunication and Misunderstanding   Jen helps me process through a communication blip I had with my son. My husband & I have very different styles when talking to our boys, & I felt inadequate, and I sometimes struggle to attune. We talk about context when communicating, projection, who is a safe person to get angry at, & I talk about my own reactivity and confusion at my reaction....

Neurodivergence and Friendship: The Struggle is Real   I talk about the challenges and complexities of friendships for neurodivergent folks, and the changing nature of friendships, the importance of reciprocity and communication. I discuss navigating difficult conversations, recognizing and addressing needs, and setting boundaries. I talk about the tendency to feel central in someone's life, and t...

The Importance of Rest & Learning to Receive & Ask for Help   Patricia and Jen discuss their health updates and the challenges they have faced. They also delve into the pressure to be productive and the fear of not functioning. The conversation shifts to vulnerability and insecurity in relationships, as well as the process of learning to receive and ask for help. They reflect on the growth and hea...

Autism Identification Should Come with a Warning Label (Including Autistic Burnout)   There are things that happen to most autistic people once they identify as autistic, and there should be a warning label! If you're late diagnosed, and high masking, there's a good chance you are, or will be in autistic burnout. There's also skill regression, and not being able to push through anymore. This can b...