Some bonds don’t begin in safety. They begin in survival. In shared chaos. They live in the roles we step into without choosing, in the silence we keep to protect each other, and in the ways love can feel like endurance instead of ease.

In this episode of Born Tired: Where Survival Meets Healing, I share what it was like growing up as the protector in a family shaped by addiction, mental illness, and unspoken roles — and what it cost me to finally step out of that role. This is a story about my sister and me, about scapegoating and silence, and about what happens when healing pulls two people in different directions.

This episode is about survival love. About what it means to mother someone while still being a child yourself. About carrying guilt when you leave, and resentment when you stay. I reflect on discovering the language of the narcissistic family system — the scapegoat, the golden child, the enabler — and how naming those roles changed how I understood my life. I share what it felt like when my body began breaking under the weight of keeping the peace, and how going no-contact became less about anger and more about survival.

Because healing doesn’t always lead to reconciliation. Because love built in survival can’t always grow into peace. And because sometimes choosing yourself feels like betrayal before it feels like freedom.

This episode is for anyone who has felt torn between loyalty and self-preservation. For siblings who survived the same house but carry different versions of the story. And for those learning that walking away isn’t abandonment, it’s awareness.

You are allowed to outgrow the roles that once kept you safe.

You are allowed to choose peace, even when it costs you connection.

You don’t need to fix yourself to be here.
You don’t need the right words.
You just need to arrive as you are.

Your voice matters.
Your story matters.
And you are not alone.

Gentle Reminder:
This podcast includes conversations about trauma, family dynamics, mental health, estrangement, and lived experiences. Listener discretion is advised.

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Credits:
Written & narrated by Eirene Torres
Audio production by Carlos Torres
Original music by Carlos Torres

Disclaimer:
Born Tired is a personal storytelling podcast based on lived experience. This content is not a substitute for professional mental health care and does not provide medical or clinical advice. If you are struggling or in crisis, please consider reaching out to a qualified mental health professional or local support services.