All Episodes

July 7, 2025 • 27 mins

"In this episode, I share the turning point in my TBI recovery when I realized that staying silent could actually protect my peace more than explaining ever could. I'll walk you through how brain injury changed my emotional responses, why my limbic system was stuck in overdrive, and how I learned to use 'down-regulation' as survival medicine.

From lightning fast reactions to intentional silence, from needing constant validation to finding peace within, this is the story of how I stopped burning out my energy trying to be understood and started protecting what matters most: my inner calm.

If you've ever felt exhausted from over-explaining yourself, if you struggle with emotional regulation, or if you're curious about the neuroscience behind choosing silence as strength, this episode is for you.


📌Timestamps:


00:00 - Opening/Topic Introduction - "We need to talk, talk about the moment I stopped defending myself and started choosing silence instead."


01:00 - Brain Injury Explanation Begins - "How could I stay silent when my T.B.I has taken control over my brain's ability to process thoughts, regulate emotions..."

 

03:04 - Left Temporal Lobe Impact - "My accident caused that my left temporal lobe got severely damaged." It's a survival of the brain encountering fear, confusion, frustration, uncertainty. 


04:05 - The Early Struggles - "It felt like the left side of my body just stopped working while my right side wanted to survive. No tools and knowledge to help myself. 


05:49 - 10-Year Journey - "Over the past ten years, I've had to figure out and find ways to accept and adapt."


07:16 - Healing Through Content Creation - "Making these video's and podcasts is so helpful for my healing."


08:26 - Instant Reactions Phase - "Acknowledging now that my reactions in the first 6-7 years after my TBI were instant, and as fast as lightning..."


09:37 - The Invisible Injury - "This is what living with a brain injury looks and feels like explained from my perspective."


10:52 - Not Recognising Pain Fear, Emotions- “It is so scary to not even recognise your own pain, fears and emotions, it is even scarier when you can’t see them in others”


12:36 - The Turning Point - "And that's where the answer to your question comes in. Choosing silence for me has never just been an emotional choice."

 

13:47 - Down Regulation Technique - "Later I found out this was clinically called 'down-regulation"


15:52 - Survival Medicine - "For me, a TBI survivor, this isn't just a calming technique. This is survival medicine."


18:05 - Taking Power Back - "By reclaiming the power within my internal space, helped me  change."


19:48 - People's Reactions to Silence - "What I see happening around me now is, that people don't know how to handle my peaceful silence."


21:00 - Detachment vs Avoidance - "My silence isn't an avoidance of them. It's a detachment from them and reconnection to myself."


22:22 - Not Needing Understanding - "But that kind of peace doesn't come from being understood. It comes when you stop needing to be understood..."


24:11 - Being Careful vs Fearful - "I'm careful now. Careful who I trust, who im love and who I give my energy to.. don’t mistake Careful for Fearful."


25:35 - Final Message - "For all the listeners: just know that I finally know my worth, my values..." My silence is a choice.


27:04 - Closing - "Hope I didn't ramble too much... Keep dancing in the rain like nobody is watching."



Join the conversation: #howsilencehelpedme  #WeNeedToTalk #liveingrace #realtalkunfiltered #TBIWarrior #InvisibleBattles #HealingJourney #TBISurvivor 


To anyone fighting silent battles: 

You are not your trauma. 

Not your worst day. 

You're the space where healing happens.


! Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional.


This is all my personal experience as I live with my TBI.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.