Fragmented to Whole: Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery

Send us a textIn this week’s episode 332 of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast, I’m discussing something I often observe, especially during family gatherings: knowing your boundaries, understanding your patterns, and gaining valuable insight, yet still getting triggered. In this episode, I explain why that happens, why it’s not a failure, and what actually helps when your body reacts faster than your thinking brain.Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:Why your nervous system responds before your intellect, and why “knowing better” isn’t enough in the momentThe difference between insight and regulation, and why affirmations and reasoning often fail when you’re activatedWhy you don’t train your nervous system during an emergency — you train for emergenciesThe four common nervous system states (freeze, rage, fawn, and flight) and what actually helps each oneSimple, body-based practices that build internal safety and shorten recovery time when old patterns get activatedYou’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re human.This work isn’t about never getting triggered — it’s about helping your body learn that now is different from then. When you train your nervous system ahead of time, you create more choice, more capacity, and a faster return to yourself when things get hard.Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on living a more whole life and to hear even more about the points outlined above.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about Fragmented to Whole at https://higherpowercc.com/podcast/Feeling drained? Take my free Boundaries Drain Quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to reclaim it. Start your quiz here: https://higherpowercc.com/drain/CONNECT WITH BARB NANGLE:Subscribe to “Friday Fragments” weekly newsletterLinkedinWork with Barb! Book a “Say No Without Guilt” Session

Send us a textIn this week's episode 331 of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast, I’m talking about the invisible, unspoken rules you absorbed growing up — the ones you never agreed to, yet have been shaping your entire emotional life. I break down how these hidden rules get installed in childhood, how they operate in adulthood, and how recovery gives you the clarity and safety to finally rewrite them.Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:The unspoken “family rules” you learned through tone, punishment, silence, chaos, and inconsistencyHow perfectionism, control, all-or-nothing thinking, and the inner critic develop in dysfunctional homesThe ways these old rules still dictate your choices, boundaries, and emotional reactionsWhat happens when you finally recognize that these rules were never yours to begin withHow recovery helps you create new internal rules rooted in truth, safety, and self-compassionYou don’t have to keep living by rules that were created in a dysfunctional system. You get to unlearn perfectionism, control, fear, and judgment. And you get to replace them with patterns that support freedom, safety, and emotional wholeness.You don’t have to stay stuck in the old survival strategies. The moment you start seeing the rules clearly, you can choose new ones — rooted in truth, boundaries, and compassion for yourself. Are you ready to rewrite the rules you grew up with?Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on living a more whole life and to hear even more about the points outlined above.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about Fragmented to Whole at https://higherpowercc.com/podcast/Feeling drained? Take my free Boundaries Drain Quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to reclaim it. Start your quiz here: https://higherpowercc.com/drain/CONNECT WITH BARB NANGLE:Subscribe to “Friday Fragments” weekly newsletterLinkedinWork with Barb! Book a “Say No Without Guilt” Session

Send us a textIn this week’s episode of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast, I’m talking with my long-time recovery friend, Renee N., and her story is absolutely incredible. She grew up in chaos — emotional abuse, addiction, violence, and zero safety — and spent decades dissociated and trying to survive.Recovery changed everything.Renee shares how reading the 14 Traits of an adult child made her feel seen for the first time, how meetings and therapy helped her start telling the truth, and how she slowly found enough internal safety to live in her authentic identity. We talk about people-pleasing, overworking, childhood roles, and the shock of finally experiencing serenity when you’ve lived your whole life in chaos.Now she’s present. She’s grounded. She’s no longer apologizing her way through the day. And she’s living a life she truly never thought was possible as a transgener woman.This conversation is full of honesty, hope, and the kind of transformation that only happens when you stop surviving and start healing.Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive practical tools for living a more whole life and to hear even more about the points outlined above.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, share it in your stories, and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast. I’d love to hear your key takeaways.Learn more about Fragmented to Whole at https://higherpowercc.com/podcast/Feeling drained? Take my free Boundaries Drain Quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to reclaim it. Start your quiz here: https://higherpowercc.com/drain/CONNECT WITH BARB NANGLE:Subscribe to “Friday Fragments” weekly newsletterLinkedinWork with Barb! Book a “Say No Without Guilt” Session

Send us a textOld family dynamics can feel impossible to change, especially when you’ve spent a lifetime carrying wounds that never had the chance to heal. For years, my relationship with someone I love was distant, tense, and full of unspoken history. I never imagined that could shift… until it did.This week on the Fragmented to Whole Podcast, I’m sharing how boundaries, emotional safety, and recovery helped me reconnect with my brother in a way I genuinely didn’t think was possible. I talk about the internal transformation that made this reconnection happen and why healing often starts inside of us long before it becomes visible in our relationships.The key points I go over in this episode include:How people-pleasing shaped our relationshipWhy internal safety allowed me to show up differentlyThe impact of setting boundaries without guiltHow making amends opened the door to connectionWhat healing old wounds can look like as an adultYou don’t need someone else to change in order for a relationship to transform. When you create safety within yourself, everything shifts. Healing becomes possible, honesty becomes easier, and old wounds finally have the space to mend.Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive practical tools for living a more whole life and to hear even more about the points outlined above.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot, share it in your stories, and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast. I’d love to hear your key takeaways.Learn more about Fragmented to Whole at https://higherpowercc.com/podcast/Feeling drained? Take my free Boundaries Drain Quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to reclaim it. Start your quiz here: https://higherpowercc.com/drain/CONNECT WITH BARB NANGLE:Subscribe to “Friday Fragments” weekly newsletterLinkedinWork with Barb! Book a “Say No Without Guilt” Session

Send us a textManipulation is often sneaky, sometimes unintentional, and rooted in fear (of abandonment, disapproval, rejection). For those in recovery, recognizing past manipulative habits—learned as dysfunctional ways to get needs met—is key.In this episode of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast, we break down how manipulation is activated during the holidays, why people-pleasing IS a form of manipulation, and how to choose authentic connection over control.Key Topics Discussed:Why people-pleasing is a manipulative behavior.How childhood survival strategies (rescuing, fixing) become adult manipulative patterns.The subtle manipulation of guilt, obligation, and emotional pressure during the holidays.Deflection: Shifting focus from one's behavior to another's reaction.The shift from trying to control others' emotions to owning your own feelings.You cannot stop others from using guilt or pressure, but you can choose how you show up. Stop managing other people’s feelings and take responsibility for your own to experience true internal safety and freedom. Choose truth over performance, as real connection requires dropping the manipulation and being real.Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on living a more whole life and to hear even more about the points outlined above.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast. I’d love to hear your key takeaways!Learn more about Fragmented to Whole at https://higherpowercc.com/podcast/Feeling drained? Take my free Boundaries Drain Quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to reclaim it. Start your quiz here: https://higherpowercc.com/drain/CONNECT WITH BARB NANGLE:Subscribe to “Friday Fragments” weekly newsletterLinkedinWork with Barb! Book a “Say No Without Guilt” Session