Today I am introducing you to my boyfriend Dejan! In this episode Dejan opens up about the journey he has been on to take full responsibility for his mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. He shares vulnerably about the ways in which he used to distance himself from and deny his problems, how he was finally able to face reality, and which steps he took to take full accountability for his life and show up in our relationship as an equal partner.

Episode breakdown:

• Dejan shares how our relationship created a catalyst for change. Questions I asked him caused him to consider things he hadn’t before, and he was increasingly confronted to face areas of his life that he’d been trying to avoid.
• We discuss how Dejan was often emotionally distanced at the beginning of our relationship, trying to stay busy and not creating the space we needed to develop a deep, intimate connection.
• Eventually my breaking point came. I communicated my boundaries and told Dejan I was no longer willing to do the emotional work for us both. If he wanted to be in a relationship with me, he would need to take responsibility for himself and his personal growth.
• In the days that followed, Dejan sought support in a 12 Step program and his recovery journey began. He slowly learnt to feel into his emotions and face the pain he had suppressed for many years.
• Having kept the truth about his financial situation a secret, Dejan finally told me about his 24,000€ debt. In order to repay all his debts, he had to move back to his parent’s flat and completely change his relationship with money.
• Dejan shares how he developed daily routines which enable him to identify and process his true feelings, and to support him to continually move forward in all areas of life.
• I share how Dejan’s commitment to our relationship and his personal growth has allowed me to deeply trust him.
• Dejan shares how becoming honest with himself and taking responsibility for all areas of his life has enabled him to experience deep love, true joy, and more freedom than ever.

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Thank you for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Dejan’s story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday’s episode about friendship had me reflecting on all the beautiful people who have supported and inspired me throughout my life so far. Over the years I have lost or ended contact with many former friends, however my love and appreciation for each individual remains. Each person helped me to discover a part of my deepest, most authentic self, and for that I will remain forever grateful.

Thank you, and I wish you nothing but the best.

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Not all friendships are meant to last a lifetime. As we grow, I believe it’s normal and necessary to let go of friendships that are no longer compatible. This can be a scary and painful experience, but by doing so, we create space for new people to come into and enrich our lives. In this episode I share my experiences moving through many friendships, what I’ve learnt in the process, and why it’s entirely worth the heartache.

Episode breakdown:

• In order to experience the deeply intimate and authentic relationships I do today, I’ve had to grieve the loss of many friendships and move through the accompanying fears of loneliness, trusting time and time again, that the Universe would bring me the people I needed.
• I explain why I never leave relationships because I am hurt or resentful.
• The biggest lesson I have learnt is to not remain in a relationship in which I do not feel supported. I break down some of my most valuable learning experiences, giving examples where I wasn’t supported, and practical suggestions on how you can figure out if you feel supported in all of your relationships.
• Open and empathetic people don’t usually have trouble making new friends, however it is crucial that we learn to consciously choose those whom we want to spend our time with.
• For me it’s important to feel inspired by my friends. I explain what that means and give examples of ways in which I might lose inspiration/interest in a friendship.
• It can be incredibly difficult to see someone we love suffering, especially when addiction is involved. After repeated attempts to help people, I’ve learnt that I cannot save anyone and must take responsibility for my own wellbeing.
• As a deeply intuitive person, I am often able to sense a person’s underlying issues before they do. If someone is stuck in a cycle of repeating the same problems, I will find myself becoming exhausted in their presence. In this case I will create some distance from them, but I will usually end up leaving the friendship because it’s too draining for me.
• I encourage you to ask your heart if there are any friendships that are no longer supportive. If we can have the courage to let go, the Universe will fill those spaces with the people who are more and more aligned with our authentic selves.

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If you resonate with this episode, would like support reflecting on your relationships, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BPD is who I am, and an inherent part of my daily existence, so naturally I forgot to mention it on the podcast! Last week I had a pretty uncomfortable BPD episode which brought this whole topic back into the spotlight. In this episode I share what happened with you, how I experience Borderline Personality Disorder, and most importantly: why I am so GRATEFUL to have BPD, since it truly comes with its own set of incredible superpowers.

Episode breakdown:

• After sharing how I was unofficially diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, I read the official diagnostic criteria and share how I experienced some imposter syndrome due to knowing that other people experience more intense suffering than I do.
• As a person with BPD, I experience intense, unstable emotions: high highs, and low lows. People have described me as “dramatic” and living life on a rollercoaster. It can be incredibly difficult navigating life with these symptoms.
• The emotional suffering I experienced in my early 20s caused me to seek and find help. The tools of the 12 Step recovery program I joined supported me to better manage my sensitive, intense & unstable emotional nature.
• Fear of abandonment (real or imagined) is a major trigger for people with BPD, including myself. I share what happens when I get triggered, and why I’m not able to think or respond rationally to a situation whilst I am experiencing a BPD episode.
• I describe in detail the BPD episode I experienced last week, the rollercoaster ride it put me on, the abusive way I treated my partner, all the while believing I was acting sanely!
• I usually operate with a high degree of self awareness. When I suddenly react very irrationally to a situation, it can be very confusing for the people around me. I share how my loved ones can best support me when I am in intense emotional distress.
• Today I relate far more to the positive aspects of BPD than the negatives ones! Some of the superpowers BPD has granted me are: a heightened ability to be authentic, vulnerable and open. An acute awareness of my emotions at any given time. Intense passion, joy, and happiness. An ability to sense people’s true emotions, even those they may not be aware of. I am highly empathetic and can experience deep intimacy with other people. An ability to see the true beauty in the world.
• I have done much work to improve my mental health, and I highly recommend 12 Step recovery programs to anyone who is suffering from BPD. I am truly grateful to have this mental illness because it caused me to walk my own unique path and has blessed me with a life full of beauty and depth.

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If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about my story, the 12 Step recovery program I’m in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

References:

• National Institute of Health - Borderline Personality Disorder
• Psych Central - The Gift of Borderline Personality Disorder
• Imi Lo, Eggshell Therapy - Advantages of Borderline Personality Disorder – 7 BPD gifts that may surprise you

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Welcome back everyone! In this season I am going to introduce you to the people in my life, to share their stories and to open this space for more discussions, vulnerability and truth. I’ve never met a more hardcore people pleaser than Andrew. In this episode, he shares his experience with chronic people pleasing, how it impacted his life, how he overcame it, and where he is now. I hope you enjoy it!

Episode breakdown:

• To survive his childhood and adolescence years as a fat kid in Ireland, Andrew became a skilled people-pleaser in order to make friends and become popular at school.
• He describes himself as a “chameleon”, playing different characters with different people in order to fit in and meet other people’s expectations. As a people pleaser, he learnt how to read people and give them what they wanted, but lost his authentic self in the process.
• Andrew shares how he used to stuff down his anger, frustration and resentment in order to please others and avoid rejection. He would go to any lengths to get people to like him, because if a single person uncovered his inauthenticity, his entire world and reputation would be threatened.
• He didn’t understand how being “too nice” could be a negative trait. Now Andrew explains why people-pleasing is actually very self-involved, dishonest and manipulative.
• We discuss how people-pleasing is embedded in most of the world’s cultures and is generally encouraged behaviour.
• Andrew shares how he hit a very dark and lonely personal rock bottom with people-pleasing four years ago. Completely burnt out and at breaking point, the turning point came when he finally made a decision to put his mental health and wellbeing first.
• After seeking support in therapy and 12 Step recovery, Andrew became aware of his people-pleasing behaviour, and through a process of small steps learnt how to set boundaries, advocate for himself, and not accept unacceptable behaviour.
• The two biggest shifts for Andrew were: 1. Realising that he can’t control someone else’s reaction to what he says. 2. Trusting that if someone reacts negatively to his boundary, they are not his true people.
• Andrew describes where he is now: his relationships are far more open and intimate, he has healthy boundaries with family members, he feels more confident at work, and he has more time and energy to focus on himself and continue improving his life.
• Andrew shares a beautiful message of hope for anyone who is suffering from people-pleasing.

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Thank you so much for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Andrew’s story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I share what’s been happening in my life since I began the podcast. After recording the previous episode a couple of months ago, I found myself unable to continue. I felt depleted in my relationship and was experiencing symptoms of depression.

When I took responsibility for my boundaries and recommenced taking antidepressants, I quickly dove deep into the root cause of my symptoms. I had a major epiphany that altered my perception of reality, and I subsequently experienced a momentary existential crisis! I realised that I wasn’t suffering from classic depression, but that I was in a process of profound spiritual growth.

Over the last month I have received a lot of clarity around my life and my purpose. I am currently taking some space to integrate my experiences and reorganise my mind, so I can share everything with you in Season 2. I’ll also be introducing you to my amazing friends and boyfriend, because I believe sharing and listening to each others’ stories opens a space for empowering new insights and both personal and collective transformation.

I can’t wait to speak with you again soon!

Lots of love

Josephine xx

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I used to believe I’d feel happy and accomplished if I had the right amount of money, success and material things in life. In this episode I take you on my personal journey: from dreaming of a successful career and owning the big house, to working a 25-hour week, living in a rental flat, and feeling more happiness, contentment and fulfilment than I ever deemed possible. Today I know that the ways in which I choose to spend my time will determine the quality of my life.

If you find that what you do, and what you have, never feels quite enough, this episode is for you. I touch on so many important topics, and probably the most important one is: choices that have created lasting joy and fulfilment in my life.

An episode breakdown doesn’t feel appropriate this time… so enjoy the ride!

If you resonate with this episode, or have any questions for me, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Much love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For over 10 years I tried to manipulate my weight by obsessively controlling and restricting my food intake/calories. Long story short: it didn’t work. When I was finally ready to heal, the solution came. Today I am entirely free from emotional eating, food obsession and restriction, chronic bloating, fear of weight gain, AND I lost the weight I wasn’t able to lose previously. This is my story.

Episode breakdown:

• Due to an absent father, family members with unhealthy eating habits, and many other factors, I was highly susceptible to eating disorders and body image issues.
• I started creating rules around my food consumption at 15 years old, lost 12kg on my first diet at 18, and by 19 I was counting my calories and heavily restricting my food intake.
• I was terrified of gaining weight and wanted to be skinny above all else. Thoughts about food and my physical appearance dominated my life.
• In my mid-20s I could no longer maintain a very slim figure. I gained weight and felt uncomfortable and insecure in my body. I also experienced emotional eating and binge eating.
• At 27 years old I was (finally) open to learning about Intuitive Eating. I realised I was stuck in a vicious cycle of food restriction and binge eating. I decided to try something new: let my body eat, and see what happens.
• To my astonishment, my binges stopped when I ceased restricting and controlling my food intake. I was finally free. I could eat what I wanted and stop when I’d had enough.
• When my food obsession was lifted, I realised that my issues with food were a powerful distraction from deeper pains and unprocessed traumas. I later understood that I also utlitised food restriction as a form of self-harm.
• Episodic emotional eating became less and less as I continued to work through everything in therapy and my 12 Step recovery program. I don’t experience emotional eating anymore.
• Over a couple of years, I naturally lost all the weight I’d previously desired to. Today I can eat what I want, when I want, and have no fear of gaining the weight back.
• I never imagined such miracles could occur. If they did for me, they can for you too <3

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Thank you so much for listening! If you resonate with this episode, have your own story you’d like to share, or have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.