86. Understanding Narcissistic Abuse from the Neuroscientific Perspective with Ann Betz

What Are We Discussing In This Episode? 

In this episode, we focus on 5 topics related to narcissistic abuse:

• What happens in the brain when we experience abuse? You know, when someone physically hurts you, you might get a broken arm, a bruise… does something happen in the brain when somebody emotionally/psychologically abuses you? (01:43)
• What are your thoughts on EMDR? Can it heal memories of abuse? Can you explain EMDR and its potential effectiveness from the neuroscience perspective? (16:15)
• Can you speak about trauma bonds, how they form, and how to break them from the perspective of neuroscience? Are there some practical things that we can do to help our brains to break these powerful bonds? (23:22)
• I am unable to carry out tasks I could have done before (like multitasking 8 things at once and enjoying it). I find myself staring at something I used to be able to do without thinking, it’s like I have a major brain fog. Can you explain if the abuse and manipulation that I went through is to blame for this and if yes, how? What has happened to my brain and how can I recover it? (38:42)
• What is your opinion on “inherited family trauma.” Is there evidence of trauma imprinting its effects on the brains of future generations? If you believe there is evidence of this, what is the importance of dealing not only with your own personal trauma but also processing the trauma your parents and grandparents experienced and how does this look in practice? How do you process your parents and grandparents' trauma? (45:52)

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More Information About the Host & Ann Betz

The host, Juliana Akin, is a co-founder of Unfilteredd, a lawyer, and a survivor of narcissistic abuse. She creates content about narcissism and narcissistic abuse to share her personal experiences with healing because she hopes that by sharing her journey, she can help you navigate yours.

Ann Betz co-founded BEabove Leadership and is an international speaker and trainer on the intersection of neuroscience, coaching, and human transformation. Ann speaks internationally on neuroscience, leadership, and coaching, and she excels at making the complexities of the brain come to life with depth, humor, and simplicity.

Suggested Readings

• How to Break a Trauma Bond with a Narcissist in 11 Steps

Podcast Music: Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com