When the Bough Breaks
When the Bough Breaks (WTBB) is a talk-show podcast for those who find themselves estranged from one or more family members. Guests call in the show to discuss events leading up to their estrangement while sharing resources that will help you cope! Guests include psychologists, family counselors, life coaches, writers and more! Show host, cult survivor and author, Alexis Arralynn is one of the few podcasters willing to tackle this difficult and often painful topic of estrangement. Estranged from her entire family for over 10 years, Alexis realizes that one important step toward healing and recovery, is vulnerability and has opened up about her own personal journey of estrangement in several episodes. If you'd like to have Alexis guest on your show or speak at your event, click the following link to submit a request to Lexi. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScx_9yiOvMPW2EdheFjS6aoFcUz0Tc_RPUdxRX-LrZMcREcqQ/viewform?usp=header
Episodes
In This Episode, We Cover:
- What PTSD nightmares really are (and what they are not)
- Why nightmares are repetitive, immersive, and fully sensory
- How the nervous system uses dreams as survival drills
- The physical and cognitive toll of years of disrupted sleep
- Why nightmares don’t fade—they end when danger ends
- How going no-contact and leaving abusive systems changes the brain
- What happens to dreams once safety becomes real
- Why memory bloc...
CPTSD: The Ultimate Time Loop (and the Starship That Keeps Exploding)
Living with complex trauma can feel like being trapped in a time loop. Not a memory—but many of them. All active. All urgent. All happening now.
In this solo episode, Alexis explores CPTSD through an unexpected but painfully accurate lens: a classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode where the Enterprise keeps exploding—over and over—while the crew se...
Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood—and most weaponized—concepts trauma survivors are taught to accept without question.
In this solo episode of When the Bough Breaks, Alexis dismantles forgiveness from every angle:
the dictionary definition, the religious mandate, the mainstream self-help narrative, and what forgiveness actually looks like when you’ve survived abuse, neglect, estrangement, or long-term harm.
If you...
Some families don’t just keep secrets—they assign children the responsibility of protecting them. In this episode of our series Healing for the Holidays, Alexis explores the often-unnamed role of the dark secret keeper in narcissistic households: the child who is expected to know what happened, never speak about it, never grieve it, and carry it quietly into adulthood.
Through personal storytelling and trauma-informed insight, ...
When Grief Becomes a Weapon
Chances are, you’ve probably lived this every holiday—just never had a name for it. In this cheeky solo episode, Alexis breaks down annual family trauma rituals, how to spot them in real time, and how to cope. Stay tuned. Part of our Healing for the Holidays series
#grief #depression #healing #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #familyestrangement #trauma #ptsd #estrangement #narcissisticabuse #loss #bereav...
Grief and depression are often treated as the same thing—but they’re not. And confusing the two can leave people feeling broken, misdiagnosed, or deeply misunderstood.
In this special Christmas Eve “Healing for the Holidays” episode of When the Bough Breaks, Alexis explores the nuanced differences between grief and depression, where they overlap, and why so many people struggle to name what they’re actually experiencing. Throug...
On this episode of When the Bough Breaks Podcast, we get a very special visit from the doc himself, Dr. Robb Kelly (As seen on TV!) But he didn't get his double PHD until after struggling with his own addiction which led to his estrangement.
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse ,you don't want to miss this episode.
Special guest Eli Honeycutt of OdysseyLifeAdventures shares his experience growing up Jehovah's Witness while coming to terms with his sexuality and the estrangement following his separation from the cult.
Coach, author and speaker Janice Selbie shares her experience of divorcing her religion and the family estrangement that soon followed.
- https://www.divorcing-religion.com/
- https://www.shamelesssexuality.org/
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhyTXTIM9kdTJ1jW-Ckb5g
People can write to Janice at Janice@divorcing-religion.com
Her book entitled Divorcing Religion: A Memoir and Survival Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP78T...
Though our guest Alexander Desmerais suffered the most vile of childhood traumas, and continues to be estranged from any meaningful family bonds, he has developed a productive approach to life that should serve as an example to all of us. He reminds us that no matter how terrible an experience, it is temporary. He goes on to teach us that trauma is as impermanent as we’re willing to do the work to make it.
...Alexander Desmarais is ...
Sometimes the caterpillar blossoms into a butterfly, only for circumstances to remind her that her wings came too late. Kreed Revere shares the story of how estrangement from her daughters forced her to embark on a courageous journey of transformation. Sadly, she’s learning that some damage can’t be undone by doing everything differently. Still, she remains hopeful that the sincerity of her approach will open the door to healing of...
When the Bough Breaks Podcast welcomes the one and only Seth Andrews
When Seth isn't busy being just a normal good looking guy with great voice, beautiful family and cute dogs, Seth is a podcaster, author and host of The Thinking Atheist Podcast. Seth guests on WTBB to open up about his estrangement experience surrounding his family's faith and offers encouraging words to our hosts and listeners.
...
Although AC is no longer on the show, you can still listen to Turn up the AC's "Christmas Gifts" episode
www.acfisherpod.com
Grow Your Own Candy Canes Pin
https://www.pinterest.com/aarralynn/wtbb-holiday/
Watch our LIVE Hot Cocoa Video edition on our youtube channel and subscribe!
https://youtu.be/o5MJ_KvoPrs?feature=shared
https://buymeacoffee.com/wtbbpod
People organizer and podcaster Starr Mallory guests this episode. Listen as she shares with guest-host AC Bergen how a tragic accident shaped and molded the person she is today. Starr also shares her experience with family estrangement and personal growth.
Echoes of Resilience Podcast https://anchor.fm/starr-mallory
https://buymeacoffee.com/wtbbpod
Special guest Dave Warnock of “Dying out Loud” shares his story of de-conversion, estrangement and his fatal ALS diagnosis. Dave shares with us the importance of living our best life even while estranged and living with a debilitating and fatal disease.
You can learn more about Dave by clicking the link below.
www.daveoutloud.com
Other resources
https://clergyproject.org
https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org
...
After her father unjustifiably called CPS on her... THREE TIMES, Briar shares with us how to cope as well as thrive after estrangement. Briar also shares her view on forgiveness and how it had led to a thriving life helping others cope with similar trauma and loss.
If you would like more information about this guest, please click the link below or send us and email at wtbbpodcast@gmail.com
http://www.briar...
AC joins Alexis to bring everyone up to date on his estrangement story.
Remember to like, follow, and share on social media! To support the show, please leave a positive review wherever you listen to this podcast.
Thank you for listening!
https://buymeacoffee.com/wtbbpod
Are 3 weddings and a funeral too much for one family? Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with a narcissistic parent? Can the family be mended in time before Curtis makes Becca his wife? Guest Curtis Blackthorne makes an urgent and time-sensitive call to the show.
https://buymeacoffee.com/wtbbpod
Refill your box of tissues as Lexi continues the series of events preceding her initial estrangement. Part 2 continues.
www.buymeacoffee.com/wtbbpod
In this episode, Lexi, the show's regular host, opens up about her story of estrangement. Part 1 focuses on her childhood trauma, and the effects of having one or more family members diagnosed with mental illness.
www.buymeacoffee.com/wtbbpod.com
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