The long shadow of trauma doesn't simply disappear with time, especially for teen mothers who've experienced violence and abuse. Rather than fading into the past, unresolved trauma physically embeds itself in the body, rewiring the nervous system and reshaping brain development in ways that continue affecting mothers decades later.

Dr. Chris unpacks the neurobiological reality of trauma, explaining why many adult women who were teen mothers experience heightened sensitivity, emotional reactivity, and difficulty regulating their responses—not because of character flaws, but because of physical changes to their nervous systems. Drawing from trauma specialists like Jasmin Lee Cori and pioneering researcher Peter A. Levine, she explores how traumatic experiences create a state where survivors are simultaneously "revved up and constricted," functioning with "a foot on the accelerator and brake at the same time."

This episode offers a compassionate understanding of the brain science behind trauma, detailing how emergency responses get trapped in the body, creating a "stacking effect" where each subsequent stress compounds upon unresolved previous experiences. Particularly illuminating is Dr. Chris's explanation of how trauma impacts three brain regions—the survival-focused reptilian brain, the emotion-centered limbic system, and the thinking-oriented neocortex—affecting everything from memory to concentration to emotional regulation.

Beyond simply explaining trauma's physical impact, this episode offers practical pathways toward healing. From somatic (body-based) therapies to improving self-regulation—your emotional thermostat—to building resilience, Dr. Chris shares how mothers can gradually reclaim control of their nervous systems. Using the powerful metaphor of freeing a car stuck in snow, she illustrates how healing happens not through forcing the process but through gentle back-and-forth movements that gradually build traction.

Ready to understand why past trauma still affects your mothering today and discover pathways toward genuine healing? Join our supportive community of teen mothers and adult women who were teen mothers by visiting teenmomsa.org or connecting with us on social media @TeenMomsAnonymous.

We explore the tale of violence and abuse prevalent in teen mothers' lives and explain how unhealed trauma continues to affect adult mothers physically, emotionally, and mentally decades later.

• Nearly two-thirds of teen mothers experience sexual or physical abuse at some point in their lives.
• Traumatic experiences leave imprints on the nervous system that persist even when "out of sight."
• Trauma is overwhelming and terrifying, causing us to protect ourselves through shock, denial, or dissociation.
• Some people suffer more than others due to differences in traumatic events, individual makeup, and spiritual responses.
• Hidden trauma may be repressed or normalized but still affects the nervous system and overall functioning.
• Healing involves facing painful emotions but leads to integration that makes suffering finite rather than lifelong.
• You can't change what happened, but you can change trauma's imprint on your body and mind
  
  Email us at [email protected] or contact us via our website teenmomsA.org with questions or topics you'd like discussed. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TeenMomsAnonymous and subscribe to our blog and podcast to stay connected on your healing journey.

When a teenage girl becomes a mother, her life transforms in ways she never anticipated—often amid judgment, shame, and overwhelming challenges. But what happens when this young mother carries unhealed trauma into her parenting journey? The impacts can ripple through generations.

Dr. Chris joins J'Michael with 107.3 JAMZ - Greenville, SC to share the powerful mission behind Teen Moms Anonymous, where we are creating sacred spaces where teen mothers and adult women who became mothers in their teens can find healing, support, and empowerment. With authentic vulnerability, Dr. Chris reveals how her difficult relationship with her own mother—a teen parent—became the catalyst for her life's work.

"Your greatest ministry will come out of your greatest pain," she shares, describing the moment she discovered how unresolved trauma from violence and abuse impacts a young mother's ability to form a secure attachment with her child. This understanding transformed her personal pain into purposeful action, creating resources that interrupt generational cycles of trauma.

The conversation offers practical wisdom for families navigating a teen pregnancy, with Dr. Chris outlining three essential steps: parents must first regulate their own emotions, then emotionally support their daughter, and finally develop a concrete plan utilizing available resources. From medical partnerships like Nurse Family Partnership to educational advocacy with school counselors, she outlines a comprehensive support system for young families.

What makes this interview particularly valuable is the balance of compassionate understanding with actionable guidance. Dr. Chris doesn't just acknowledge the emotional wounds teen mothers carry—she provides pathways to healing through our organization's weekly blogs, podcasts, and confidential support groups.

Whether you're a parent, educator, community leader, or someone who cares about supporting vulnerable families, this conversation offers profound insights into breaking cycles of trauma and building healthier futures for young mothers and their children. 

Connect with Teen Moms Anonymous through our website teenmomsA.org and discover how emotional healing creates stronger families across generations.

Toxic shame—that intensely painful belief that we are fundamentally flawed and unworthy of love—keeps us hiding in the shadows of our lives. For teen mothers and those who became mothers in their teens, especially survivors of abuse and violence, this shame can become the very core of identity, fueling destructive patterns and preventing authentic connection.

In this final episode of our five-part series "Healing the Shame That Binds You," Dr. Chris unpacks three powerful methods for externalization—bringing toxic shame out of hiding where it can finally be healed. Drawing from John Bradshaw's groundbreaking work and her own experience with Celebrate Recovery, Dr. Chris demonstrates how 12-step programs create the perfect environment for shame healing by combining honest social contact with the power of being mirrored and accepted by non-shaming others.

The 12-step journey restores four fundamental relationships broken by toxic shame: our relationship with God or a higher power, our relationship with ourselves, our relationships with others, and our relationship with the world around us. Unlike quick-fix approaches, this healing process takes time and commitment, but offers genuine transformation through its structured pathway from admission of powerlessness to spiritual awakening.

What makes recovery groups uniquely suited for healing toxic shame is their non-judgmental atmosphere. In these spaces, everyone has experienced the agony of toxic shame, creating a sanctuary where you're embraced rather than judged for your struggles. As Bradshaw notes, "As I confessed how badly I really felt, I saw acceptance and love in the mirroring eyes of others...I began to feel like I mattered."

Connect with Teen Moms Anonymous for resources, support groups, and community. Subscribe to our podcast and follow us on social media to continue your journey toward emotional health and wellness. Your healing not only transforms your life but creates a healthier foundation for your children.

The powerful grip of toxic shame drives us to protect ourselves in ways we rarely recognize. In this transformative third installment of "Healing the Shame That Binds You," Dr. Chris uncovers how "acting shameless" becomes our shield against unbearable emotional pain.

Drawing from John Bradshaw's groundbreaking recovery work and her own award-winning research with teen mothers, Dr. Chris illuminates three critical behaviors that mask our toxic shame: perfectionism, rage, and addictive patterns. These aren't random coping mechanisms—they're sophisticated protective systems that alter our mood and transfer our pain to others, what therapists call "passing the hot potato."

For teen mothers, perfectionism often manifests as an obsessive drive to "prove naysayers wrong." Through poignant testimonies from young mothers like Quincy and another graduate, we witness how the external focus on disproving others' judgments perpetuates rather than heals deep shame. Rather than striving for perfection, Dr. Chris advocates focusing inward on healthy boundaries and self-acceptance.

Rage—particularly common in children raised with shame-based parenting or abandonment—operates like an iceberg. The visible anger conceals massive underwater foundations of hurt, humiliation, and unprocessed shame. Meanwhile, addictive behaviors extend far beyond substances to include eating disorders, emotional fixations, and compulsive activities—all attempts to escape shame's suffocating grip.

The path toward healing begins only when we bring shame out of hiding in safe, non-judgmental communities. This compelling episode offers hope through practical steps toward breaking multi-generational patterns of toxic shame, with special attention to the unique challenges facing teen mothers and their children.

Connect with Teen Moms Anonymous through social media @TeenMomsAnonymous, visit teenmomsa.org, or email [email protected] to learn more about our support groups and resources dedicated to emotional health and wellness for teen mothers and those who were teen parents.

Trauma changes us in profound ways, forcing our true selves into hiding while protective mechanisms take over. In this powerful second installment of our "Healing the Shame that Binds You" series, Dr. Chris explores the automatic defense mechanisms that emerge when we face severe threats, particularly sexual and physical abuse.

Drawing from John Bradshaw's groundbreaking work, this episode delves into two critical defense mechanisms: disassociation and the development of a false self. When trauma becomes unbearable, disassociation allows victims to mentally "leave" during the experience—a lifesaving but costly survival strategy. Meanwhile, toxic shame forces us to hide our authentic selves behind carefully constructed masks, creating false personas to protect our vulnerable inner child.

Through beautiful recitations of Paul Laurence Dunbar's poems "We Wear the Mask" and "Sympathy," Dr. Chris illuminates the profound pain of hiding one's true nature and the universal longing for authenticity. She shares personal experiences of witnessing violence as a child and how disassociation protected her psyche from unbearable trauma, offering listeners a window into how these protective mechanisms function.

Most importantly, this episode charts a path toward healing. By bringing shame out of hiding in safe, non-judgmental environments, we begin to dismantle its power. Whether through therapy, support groups, or recovery programs, finding communities where we can authentically share our experiences is essential for reclaiming our true selves.

For teen mothers and those who became mothers in their teens, especially survivors of violence and abuse, understanding these defense mechanisms offers a crucial step toward emotional wellness. 

Subscribe to our podcast, blog, follow us on social media @TeenMomsAnonymous, or visit teammomsaorg to connect with resources that can support your healing journey.

Shame—we all feel it, but few of us understand its profound impact on our lives and relationships. In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Chris introduces us to the critical distinction between healthy shame (a natural emotional boundary) and toxic shame (the devastating belief that we are fundamentally flawed and unworthy of connection).

Drawing from John Bradshaw's groundbreaking work and her own expertise working with teen mothers, Dr. Chris reveals how toxic shame first emerges within the family system through three key dynamics: growing up with a shame-based parent, experiencing abandonment, or enduring repeated violence and abuse. For teen mothers, this pre-existing shame is often intensified by societal judgment during pregnancy, creating layers of emotional wounding that affect their ability to parent effectively.

The statistics Dr. Chris shares are staggering: up to 82% of teen mothers report disturbing memories from stressful past experiences, 79% feel depressed or hopeless, and a heartbreaking 61% have had thoughts about self-harm. These numbers aren't just data points—they reflect the lived reality of thousands of young women carrying the burden of toxic shame.

But there's profound hope in this message. Dr. Chris vulnerably shares her own journey with toxic shame, including her recent realization about how perfectionism has been her hiding place. Through her story of raising her son as a single mother—and the beautiful validation she recently received from a community elder—we glimpse what healing looks like when we confront our shame and find supportive communities where we can be our authentic selves.

This episode is the first in a powerful five-part series designed to help teen mothers and women who were teen mothers recognize, expose, and ultimately heal the toxic shame that has kept them bound. Whether you're a teen mother, someone who works with young parents, or simply someone struggling with feelings of unworthiness, this conversation offers the compassionate understanding and practical wisdom needed to begin the journey toward emotional freedom.

Connect with us at teammomsA.org or on social media @TeenMomsAnonymous to join our supportive community and continue your healing journey.

Blog Post

Shame can be a powerful force in our lives, especially for teen mothers who face unique challenges and societal judgment. But what if there's a difference between healthy shame that guides us and toxic shame that defines us?

In this introduction to our groundbreaking five-part series, "Healing the Shame that Binds You," Dr. Chris explores the crucial distinction that can transform your parenting journey. Healthy shame serves as a natural boundary, reminding us that we're human with limits—not gods. It's perfectly normal and helps us recognize when we need support. Toxic shame, however, convinces us that we're fundamentally flawed and unworthy of love.

The origins of toxic shame run deep. Children aren't born with shame; it develops through family interactions, particularly with primary caregivers. Dr. Chris examines three pathways that create toxic shame in childhood: emotionally wounded caregivers, parental abandonment, and repeated exposure to shaming experiences like abuse or domestic violence. Understanding these origins is the first step toward breaking the cycle with your own children.

Drawing inspiration from John Bradshaw's pioneering work, Healing the Shame that Binds You, this series offers more than just analysis—it provides a roadmap to healing. By addressing your emotional wounds, you'll be better equipped to nurture your child's healthy emotional development, preventing the transmission of toxic shame to the next generation. Each episode builds toward practical strategies for transformation, helping you move from shame-based parenting to connection-based nurturing.

Ready to transform your relationship with shame and become the emotionally healthy parent your child deserves? Subscribe now to ensure you don't miss any part of this life-changing series, and join our community of teen moms supporting each other through the healing journey. 

Visit teammomsA.org or follow us on social media @TeenMomsAnonymous to access additional resources and connect with others walking the same path.

Many teen moms and adult mothers who were teen moms feel or have felt shame, and it caused them to want to withdraw and hide. Shame, however, can't survive empathy. Empathy--the ability to emotionally connect with what the other person is feeling, see things from their point of view, and put yourself in their shoes, is the antidote to shame. In today's episode Dr. Chris discusses five (5) ways everyone can demonstrate empathy.

To learn more about shame, a great resource is to listen to Shame and Vulnerability Researcher and Author, Brene Brown's, TED Talk, Listening to Shame, which has over 20 million views. She explains shame and why empathy is the antidote:

To learn more about our organization, Teen Moms Anonymous, please visit our website- www.teenmomsA.org

Many young mothers experience judgment and are riddled with shame. 

In today's episode, Dr. Chris discusses judgment and shame, two powerful and uncomfortable emotions that trigger a physical sensation in the body, making us want to shrink back and hide.

Listen to learn more.