Cutting Ties and Moving Forward: Family Estrangement Insights

Explicit content warning

06/20/23 • 56 min

2 Listeners

Touched Out!

Welcome to Episode Ten of Touched Out: A Mental Health Podcast for Parents!

In this enlightening episode, host Carter is joined by Bekah and Bryan, a resilient couple who have spent 18 years navigating the complex landscape of parenting and mental health. From facing family estrangement to raising a child with autism, their journey is filled with both challenges and triumphs. Bekah and Bryan candidly discuss their unique parenting experiences, shedding light on how mental health awareness has profoundly influenced their approach to family life.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions on mental health challenges, family estrangement, grief, and loss. Listener discretion is advised.

Join us as Bekah and Bryan discuss:

Navigating Grief and Estrangement: Insights into Bekah's decision to cut ties with her family and how this choice has impacted their parenting journey, alongside their experiences of dealing with profound loss and grief.

Parenting with Purpose: How Bekah and Bryan overcame their own childhood trauma and used those lessons to create a nurturing environment for their children, emphasizing emotional growth and resilience.

Fatherhood and Emotional Growth: Bryan shares the male perspective on mental health, detailing his initial resistance to therapy and the transformative impact it had on his emotional well-being.

Understanding Autism: A heartfelt discussion on the unique dynamics introduced by raising a child with autism, including the challenges and joys that have shaped their family life.

Setting Emotional Examples: The importance of setting a healthy emotional example for children and how Bekah and Bryan are challenging societal expectations around masculinity and emotional expression.

Grief and Loss: The emotional weight of explaining death to young children, sharing poignant anecdotes about the loss of a loved one to cancer and the comforting presence of grandparents sensed by their children.

Community and Support: How personal beliefs and online communities provide solace, emphasizing the critical role of community support in navigating parenting challenges.

Listen to Bekah and Bryan inspiring story and gain valuable insights into how they navigate grief, family estrangement, and the realities of modern parenting. Subscribe now to Touched Out for more heartfelt conversations and practic

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Thanks for listening to Touched Out: A Mental Health and Parenting Support Podcast.
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, share, and leave a rating and review. Your support helps others discover their new favorite parenting and mental health podcast.

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Drop a comment on Spotify if you have any questions or thoughts. You can also visit The Touched Out Website to leave a voice message or contact me via email. If you are interested in being a guest on Touched Out you can access the guest form HERE

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All of the friends, None of the fear. A safe space for neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled people to make friends and find support. Download the Spoony App HERE

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Welcome to Episode Ten of Touched Out: A Mental Health Podcast for Parents!

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions on mental health challenges, family estrangement, grief, and loss. Listener discretion is advised.

Join us as Bekah and Bryan discuss:

Fatherhood and Emotional Growth: Bryan shares the male perspective on mental health, detailing his initial resistance to therapy and the transformative impact it had on his emotional well-being.

Understanding Autism: A heartfelt discussion on the unique dynamics introduced by raising a child with autism, including the challenges and joys that have shaped their family life.

Community and Support: How personal beliefs and online communities provide solace, emphasizing the critical role of community support in navigating parenting challenges.

Support the show

Connect with Us:

Get your official Touched Out! Merch HERE

Donate to Touched Out! HERE

Spoony App:

All of the friends, None of the fear. A safe space for neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled people to make friends and find support. Download the Spoony App HERE

*This is not a paid promotion

Previous Episode

Challenging Stereotypes in Parenting: A Father’s Emotional Journey

2 Recommendations

Welcome to Episode Nine of Touched Out: A Mental Health Podcast for Parents!

In this thought-provoking episode, host Carter sits down with Luke, a stay-at-home dad of five, who shares his powerful story of navigating fatherhood, trauma, and mental health. Luke opens up about his battles with anxiety, self-medication, and the pressures of managing a blended family, while also challenging societal norms around masculinity and emotional expression.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions on mental health struggles, self-medication, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

Join us as Luke discusses:

Vulnerability and Fatherhood: Luke shares his journey of embracing vulnerability and breaking free from traditional masculine roles, emphasizing the importance of open emotional expression in parenting.

Personal Healing and Mental Health: Insights into Luke's personal battles with anxiety and self-medication, and how these challenges led him to focus on family and healing childhood traumas.

Balancing Family and Career: A candid look at how Luke manages the complexities of raising a blended family while dealing with online negativity and societal expectations.

Supportive Communities for Fathers: The critical need for supportive networks and resources for fathers, highlighting Luke's dedication to fostering change and advocating for mental health awareness.

Overcoming Societal Stigmas: A discussion on the societal pressures faced by men in expressing emotions, and the importance of challenging traditional gender roles for a healthier family dynamic.

Empowerment Through Authenticity: Luke’s story underscores the power of authenticity and community, offering a platform for fathers to share their experiences and embrace their roles fully.

Listen to Luke's inspiring journey and gain valuable insights into parenting, mental health, and the power of vulnerability. Subscribe now to Touched Out for more heartfelt conversations and practical tips on navigating parenthood and mental health.

Support the show

Connect with Us:

Get your official Touched Out! Merch HERE

Donate to Touched Out! HERE

Spoony App:

All of the friends, None of the fear. A safe space for neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled people to make friends and find support. Download the Spoony App HERE

*This is not a paid promotion

Next Episode

Nurturing Against All Odds: Fiona’s Path Through Trauma to Gentle Parenting

1 Recommendations

Welcome to Episode Eleven of Touched Out: A Mental Health Podcast for Parents!

In this heartfelt episode, we meet Fiona from Portland, Oregon, who bravely shares her journey through motherhood, adoption trauma, and mental health struggles. Fiona’s story is a testament to resilience and breaking generational cycles, as she navigates the challenges of parenting with conditions like OSDD and complex PTSD.
Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions on adoption trauma, mental health struggles, and societal pressures. Listener discretion is advised.

Join us as Fiona shares her personal experiences with:

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse: Insights into Fiona's determination to overcome her traumatic past and provide a nurturing environment for her son, despite her challenging upbringing and adoption experiences.
Gentle Parenting Strategies: Fiona's approach to raising her son with empathy and compassion, using techniques like positive reinforcement and non-physical discipline to foster emotional regulation and autonomy.
Mental Health Challenges: The unique hurdles of parenting with complex PTSD and disordered eating, and how these conditions shape Fiona's role as a mother and her journey toward healing and self-care.
Navigating Societal Pressures: Fiona's candid discussion on the modern challenges of parenting, from media influence to the impacts of societal issues like school shootings, and how she addresses these with her child.
Building a Supportive Community: The importance of finding a community of like-minded parents, especially those who are neurodivergent, and how this support has been instrumental in Fiona's parenting journey.

Fiona also opens up about her personal journey of healing and the importance of community support and self-care in parenting. Her story provides a relatable perspective on overcoming adversity and celebrating the milestones of raising children, shedding light on the mental health challenges many parents face.

Support the show

Connect with Us:

Get your official Touched Out! Merch HERE

Donate to Touched Out! HERE

Spoony App:

All of the friends, None of the fear. A safe space for neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled people to make friends and find support. Download the Spoony App HERE

*This is not a paid promotion

Touched Out! - Cutting Ties and Moving Forward: Family Estrangement Insights

Transcript

[Carter]00:00:02.241

Okay, so today we have Becca and Brian. Becca and Brian, husband and wife, been together 18 years and married 16, live in Dallas with two dogs, two cats and a hamster. And... How many children?

[Bekah]00:00:20.222

Two, we have two boys,

[Carter]00:00:21.454

two kids.

[Bekah]00:00:21.910

12 and nine.

[Carter]00:00:23.675