Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth
In this eye-opening episode, Tina White gets all the way real about a manipulation tactic that’s way too common and not nearly talked about enough: deflection — when someone shifts blame, creates chaos, and calls you the problem just to avoid owning their own dysfunction.
From family dynamics to romantic relationships and even professional spaces, deflection can look like emotional gaslighting, survival-mode sabotage, or straight-up reckless behavior — the kind that gets you caught up in someone else’s mess.
This episode includes a wild real-life story (yes, it happened at Target) that sparked the conversation, and a deep dive into what happens when you get scapegoated for someone else’s bad decisions — and how to protect your mental peace when that happens.
This conversation was recorded in January or February 2025, before Target publicly walked away from its DEI commitments. I’m adding this for context.
On the day this episode was born, I was on a routine Target run with someone I was seeing at the time. Mid-aisle, he decides he’s not paying — he’s just gonna steal. Yes, steal. With me standing right there.
I was stunned. Not only was it reckless, it was dangerous — and if it had gone left, I could’ve been caught in the crossfire of his foolishness. The worst part? He didn’t even pause to consider the impact on me. That moment revealed everything I needed to know.
So if you’ve ever been in a situation where someone threw you under the bus — just to avoid their own consequences — this one’s for you.
Have you ever been made to feel like you were the problem, just to protect someone else’s image or lies?
Tag @TheTriggerAndTheTruth or use #TriggerAndTruth to share your story or thoughts. Let's stop normalizing deflection—and start demanding accountability.
Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and everywhere podcasts stream.
💥 If this episode hit home, leave a review, share it with a friend, and remind someone:
Just because they blamed you, doesn’t mean it was ever your burden to carry.
#thetriggerandthetruth, #truthserum, #emotionalmanipulation, #scapegoated, #healingoutloud, #mentalhealthpodcast, #relationshipdrama, #blackmentalhealthmatters, #deflectionisabuse, #target, #deitruth,...
Tina White
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