What if the thing that saved your mental health wasn’t therapy alone—but your hands, your creativity, and your ability to choose differently? In this powerful conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Carrie to discuss trauma, abandonment, people-pleasing, and how creativity became her lifeline amid chaos.

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3 million downloads and counting.

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From waking up to moving trucks without warning to becoming a parentified child at twelve, Carrie learned early how chaos can wire the nervous system. Rather than numbing out or self-destructing in obvious ways, she chose a more socially accepted—but equally damaging—path: people-pleasing, over-functioning, and carrying everyone else’s emotional weight.

Through art, crafting, and intentional use of her hands, Carrie discovered a way to temporarily shut off trauma, regulate her nervous system, and reclaim a sense of power. This episode explores how creativity isn’t just a hobby—it’s a form of mental health care. Carrie also opens up about breaking generational trauma, setting boundaries with family, redefining self-care, and teaching her children emotional agency instead of emotional suppression.

This conversation is raw, validating, and deeply human. If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, trauma, abandonment wounds, or the pressure to be “the strong one,” this episode will remind you that healing doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be intentional.

Keywords: Carrie, mental health, trauma healing, creativity and mental health, childhood trauma, abandonment issues, people-pleasing, anxiety coping skills, generational trauma, boundaries, self-care, emotional regulation, creative healing

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