"Why does this keep happening to me?" "Why do I keep attracting narcissists?" You choose to stop. With 6 ASD-friendly practical tips that Faustina used repeatedly in her journey of taming peace after years of running on adrenaline and cortisol, we can slowly familiarize ourselves with our new life. Whether that's getting out of domestic violence, healing from narcissistic abuse, or winning a custody battle in family court, there's going to be a point where things will stop being a constant threat, a constant chaos loop. And your brain won't like it. So here are 6 trauma informed, practical ways that you teach your brain to enjoy the quiet after the storm, so you can settle into it, and change the course of your life - one day at a time!Addiction to chaos is a real thing. In this episode we get practical with 6 mindset shifts and day-to-day habits that may help us not dive head first into another problem, another abusive relationship, another overwhelming situation. In the next episode we nerd out on the hormones in the brain that drive that addiction, and how we can help normalize those hormone levels. I want to point you to one of my biggest pillars in my trauma recovery, Dr. Ramani, who teaches from a more authoritative perspective, things you need to know about narcissism, NPD, and about recovery. The content in this podcast is for general information and education only. It reflects lived experience and summaries of publicly available research. It is not medical, mental‑health, legal, or professional advice, and it isn’t a substitute for advice tailored to your situation. Please seek support from a qualified professional who understands your needs.

Through the story of winning a custody battle, despite what felt like years of legal intimidation and harassment, Faustina shows an example of what addiction to chaos looks and feels like. Winning in family court after many years of feeling unseen and misunderstood by a legal system that isn’t trauma-informed, completely stunned her and left her like a deer in the headlights.We discuss the fact that calm can feel threatening, that trauma wires your nervous system to seek more chaos, why peace showing up abruptly can be destabilizing, in order to plant the scenery for Episode 15-B where we will list 6 practical Tips to retrain the body to feel safe again. This first episode of a 4-parts series about the addiction to chaos for trauma survivors, sets the stage with a story that describes Faustina's journey from fear and chaos over to peace, which was not void of struggles and discomfort through the process.It took months to adjust to the fact that the long-term trajectory of the case had shifted entirely, along with the power dynamic, and to adjust to everything being rebalanced in her and her kid's life. This new reality created a huge void, as a huge part of her identity was taken away abruptly.A story most single moms who have left relationships that felt intimidating, disrespectful and confusing, and who are carrying relationship or childhood trauma, and suddenly find themselves forced to adjust to some level of peace, will relate to. While I'm hoping this helps you save time for the day you do win in family court, and most importantly, for the months that will follow, the emotions and feelings described here can apply to a LOT of situations. Here we're just setting the stage for the mini-series. Faustina suggests we start thinking about surrender with the words, "Be still and know that I am God" as a great mantra for the transition out of chaos and into peace. Surrender is one of the mindset shifts that she built her newfound freedom around.After this practical description of behaviors and feelings, in Episodes 16A and 16B we then dive into the neurochemical aspect of the addiction to chaos, talk about the stress hormones, and Faustina will explain her personal journey of overcoming the addiction to chaos from a stress hormone perspective. We will talk about family court strategies later in the podcast, not to worry. It's just an example to talk about navigating from being knee-deep in chaos, to embracing and loving a more quiet life.
If you're waiting for the rest of the series on addiction to chaos to come out, in the meantime, check out Episode 9: The Court Date you Can't Stop Thinking About - Breaking the Anxiety Spiral⁠.
KEYWORDSautistic single mom, narcissistic abuse recovery, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, custody battle, chaos addiction, addiction to chaos, life transition, NPD, ASD, Catholicism, court trauma, court battle, win a custody battle, post-abuse healing, trauma responses, high-conflict co-parenting, healing after abuse, emotional safety, breaking trauma patterns, Mental Health, Parenting, Self-Improvement, Trauma, Catholic Faith, Rosary, Jesus, spiritual warfare, demonic aspect of a court battle, legal abuseThis content is for general information and education only. It reflects lived experience and summaries of publicly available research. It is not medical, mental‑health, legal, or professional advice, and it isn’t a substitute for advice tailored to your situation. Please seek support from a qualified professional who understands your needs.

After gaslighting, rebuilding your intuition and body signals is the foundation for helping your child feel emotionally safe. In this episode, we talk about what gaslighting is, how to heal from gaslighting, staying honest with your overwhelm, and modeling emotional safety for sensitive or neurodivergent kids. Faustina shares relatable, personal stories and real-life examples of learning to feel the emotions again, and humbly using those to model emotional intelligence to a sensitive child. If this helped you feel less alone, please leave a 5 star review — it genuinely helps other overwhelmed moms find this space. Healing from gaslighting is like finding strength in the storm that follows, with the post-separation dysfunctional dynamics that come after you leave.

• emotional safety for kids
• trauma-informed parenting
• parenting after abuse
• overwhelmed moms
• neurodivergent parenting
• PDA autism parenting
• sensitive children
• co-regulation strategies

• healing from gaslighting
• nervous system regulation
• parenting when triggered
• rebuilding intuition
• overwhelmed mom support
• Catholic mom podcast
• mother wound healing
• emotional literacy for kids
• parenting through dysregulation

• gentle parenting for trauma survivors
• raising autistic or PDA children
• how to stay calm with your child
• healing your inner voice
• teaching kids emotional regulation

Staying present isn’t easy when your nervous system is already overloaded. It's easier to dissociate.In this episode, Faustina talks about what “being present” actually means for trauma survivors and neurodivergent single parents, why overwhelm shuts down connection, and how to stay grounded with an autistic child even when your body or your mind want to escape. Practical, realistic tools for single moms — no perfection required. I do want to give credit to a major player in the ASD space, Orion Kelly, That Autistic Guy, who talks about parallel play.
Keywords: autism parenting, overstimulated parent, overwhelmed mom, trauma informed parenting, sensory overload parenting, parenting with PTSD, staying present with child, single parent, neurodivergent parent, autistic parent, PDA autism parenting, nervous system dysregulation

Breaking generational trauma for future generations is hard — especially when you’re parenting a neurodivergent child without a roadmap. It's little things you have to notice, to catch, and to do differently - one day at a time.In this episode, we talk about how childhood trauma shows up in your parenting, why your nervous system reacts before your thoughts do, and how small, imperfect moments of awareness can break the cycle. Generational trauma doesn't have to be passed down to your bloodline, you can stop the cycle. This is for single moms recovering from abuse, healing, and trying to parent differently than what they lived.Pro tip: going to therapy is always a good idea!

• breaking generational trauma
• parenting after trauma
• trauma-informed parenting
• cycle breaking parents
• parenting a neurodivergent child
• parenting autistic child
• autism parenting support
• PDA autism parenting
• healing from abuse
• moms recovering from trauma

• overwhelmed moms
• trauma triggers in parenting
• nervous system dysregulation
• gentle parenting after trauma
• attachment repair
• reparenting yourself
• parent burnout recovery
• high conflict co-parenting support
• healing childhood wounds
• trauma response in motherhood

• how to parent differently after trauma
• why parenting feels hard after abuse
• how to break generational trauma cycles
• regulating yourself while parenting
• support for moms raising autistic kids
• trauma responses during meltdowns
• parenting when overstimulated
• surviving high conflict parenting

How do you help your child calm down when you’re not calm yourself?
In this episode, Faustina shares small, realistic ways to co-regulate while healing — grounding tips for overstimulation, honest scripts for connection, and a reminder that repair matters more than perfection. This can be particularly difficult for single mothers as there is no other adult to fall back on when we are not regulated.
single parenting, autism, trauma recovery, nervous system, co-regulation, single motherhood, resilience, gentle parenting, healing hacks

When your mind knows you’re safe but your body doesn’t, parenting can feel overwhelming. This episode explains what trauma-triggered overwhelm actually is, and offers practical steps to calm your nervous system in real time — without pretending or forcing it.
panic, trauma recall, PTSD flare-ups while parenting

Legal stress and co-parenting conflict activate the nervous system in a deep, physical way. This episode shares grounded ways to stay steady when you can’t stop thinking about court — without denying the reality of what’s at stake.
Keywords: co-parenting stress, high conflict co-parent, custody anxiety, trauma-informed parenting, court stress, nervous system regulation, overwhelmed motherhood, parenting resilience, emotional grounding, parenting under stress

Many mothers escape because their nervous system is overwhelmed, not because they lack strength. This episode explores the difference between rest that nourishes us and escape that numbs us — and offers simple, doable ways to create calm in small moments throughout the day.Keywords: rest vs escape, parenting overwhelm, trauma-informed parenting, nervous system regulation, autistic parent, sensory overload, self-regulation, healing from burnout, mindful parenting, overwhelmed motherhood, neurodivergent parenting, parenting resilience, emotional fatigue recovery

Parenting an autistic child can be beautiful, joyful, and deeply loving — and it can also be physically and emotionally overwhelming. Especially when your child’s stimming, movement, or verbal repetition triggers your own sensory overload.This episode is about what it feels like to be stimmed out as a parent — and how to stay present without shutting down or snapping. No shame. No judgment. Just real strategies for protecting your nervous system while still showing up with love.
parenting autism, sensory overload, autistic parent, overstimulation, stimming, PDA autism, neurodivergent parenting, gentle parenting autism, regulating nervous system, autistic motherhood, parenting through overwhelm, coping skills for parents, trauma-informed parenting, emotional regulation for parents, parenting burnout, parenting resilience, supporting autistic children, sensory needs, autistic sensory experience, mindful parenting neurodivergence