In this episode, The Language of Protection, I explore the moment many survivors reach when the body begins telling the truth long before the mind is ready to hear it.

For those of us who grew up in survival mode, protection often looks like vigilance, silence, and control. It looks like staying calm at all costs. It looks like building a life that appears peaceful on the outside while the body continues to brace underneath.

This episode is about the difference between protection and peace, and the courage it takes to unlearn the strategies that once kept us alive.

I share my personal story of growing up in a home where silence was survival and truth was treated like rebellion. I talk about the night my father tried to strangle me, the denial that followed, and how those experiences shaped the way I learned to mother, to protect, and to build a home that felt different from the one I came from.

This is also a reflection on grief, for the childhood we didn’t get, for the choices we made out of fear, and for the parts of ourselves that believed rest had to be earned.

If you are a cycle breaker, a truth-teller, or someone learning what peace actually feels like after years of survival, this episode is for you.

This podcast is rooted in lived experience. In growing up in survival mode.
In breaking generational patterns that were never meant to be carried forward.

I speak openly about family trauma, estrangement, identity, C-PTSD, and the slow, intentional work of building a life that finally feels like yours after trauma.

Every episode is created for those who carried too much, too early.
For the ones who learned to stay quiet to stay safe.
For the ones who became strong before they ever felt protected.

Born Tired is a space for cycle breakers, truth tellers, and anyone learning how to rest after a lifetime of bracing. A place where your story is not minimized, your experience is not questioned, and your voice is allowed to exist without explanation.

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.