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What if the mental health diagnosis you've been carrying isn't actually the answer you thought it was? What if the symptoms you've been told to manage for life could actually be healed at the root?

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Michelle Rittenburg, number one bestselling author of The Upside of Bipolar and founder of Upsiders Tribe, to explore the complex intersection of trauma and mental health symptoms.

Michelle shares her raw journey from a narcissistic abusive first marriage that left her with unprocessed trauma she carried for 30 years. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 24 and told she had a permanent chemical imbalance requiring lifelong medication, Michelle spent over a decade on seven different psychiatric drugs, experienced multiple hospitalizations, and survived suicide attempts. She was told recovery wasn't possible.

But Michelle refused to accept that narrative.

In this episode, we dive deep into uncomfortable territory:

The moment Michelle realized traditional treatment wasn't working and why the "chemical imbalance" theory she'd built her life around wasn't supported by science

How unprocessed trauma from narcissistic abuse manifested as severe mood swings, depression, and what looked like mental illness

Why psychiatric diagnoses describe symptoms but don't identify underlying causes, and how this keeps people trapped in victimhood

Michelle's intense six-week EMDR therapy experience processing 30 years of repressed trauma, including her "day of rage" that signaled breakthrough

The difference between managing symptoms and actually healing at the root

Why we must learn to sit with uncomfortable emotions instead of pathologizing or avoiding them

How choosing your hard, doing the work, and looking at symptoms with curiosity instead of judgment creates true freedom

The critical role of community and tribe in the healing journey

This conversation will challenge everything you've been told about mental health, permanent diagnoses, and what's actually possible when you're willing to do the uncomfortable work of healing.

If you've been labeled, diagnosed, or told you're broken beyond repair, this episode is for you. Whether you're dealing with the aftermath of narcissistic abuse, struggling with mental health symptoms, or both, Michelle's message is clear: healing is possible, and you don't have to be a victim to your symptoms for the rest of your life.

Ready to do your own recovery work? Visit ThePassageToPeace.com to explore my coaching programs, P.E.A.C.E. Pockets Survival Sessions, and one-on-one coaching.

LINKS To Find Michelle:

Website: www.theupsideofbipolar.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theupsideofbipolar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupsideofbipolar

Podcast: The Upside of Bipolar: Conversations on the Road to Wellness

Book: The Upside

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"Just move on. Just let it go. Just forget about it."

If breaking free from a narcissistic relationship were that simple, you'd already be done. But it's not, and there's a reason why.

In this live recording from The Healing Room, I break down the hard truth about trauma bonds and why willpower alone will never be enough to break them. This isn't about weakness - it's about understanding that you're dealing with a brain problem, not a character flaw.

I'm covering:

• Why your brain treats the relationship like an addiction (because it literally is)
• The neurological patterns keeping you stuck in the cycle
• Why New Year's resolutions are a trap when it comes to trauma bonds
• The three things you actually need: structure, community, and the right framework
• How to stop setting yourself up for failure and start creating real change

As someone who spent 30 years in a marriage to a narcissist and five years breaking my own trauma bond, I'm not just teaching this - I've lived it. And I'm here to walk through it with you.

Join me every Monday at 7 PM EST on TikTok and Instagram for Monday Night Live in The Healing Room, where we're breaking bonds and building better lives.

Free Workshop: Join me January 19th, 2026 for a 75-minute deep dive on breaking the trauma bond.

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Get "GROOMED"

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We've been taught that endurance equals strength. That staying means we're strong enough to handle it. But what if the very strength that kept you surviving in a narcissistic relationship is the same strength that will set you free?

In this powerful episode, Marcia challenges everything you thought you knew about strength in toxic relationships. She reveals the critical difference between survival mode strength - the over-functioning, tolerance, and walking on eggshells we mistake for resilience - and true strength that chooses self-preservation over performance.

Drawing from her own 30-year marriage to an overt narcissist, Marcia exposes how we get validation for "handling" difficult partners, how we confuse tolerance with resilience, and why waiting to "feel strong enough" keeps us stuck for decades. She shares the truth about rock bottom, the terrifying moment when the veil of denial lifts and you finally see what you can no longer unsee.

This isn't about how to leave - it's about understanding that you already have the strength. You've been using it to survive. Now it's time to redirect that same power toward healing. Because the strength doesn't come before the doing. The strength comes IN the doing.

If you've been waiting to feel strong enough, this episode will show you why that's the very thing keeping you trapped - and how to take that first scary step forward without a backup plan.

Support the show

Get "GROOMED"

Follow me on Instagram!

Follow me on Tiktok!

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

Follow me on Linkden!

Find me on Psychology Today!

Learn more about our programs and services!