You Were Not Imagining the Pain

You Were Not Imagining the Pain

Some families harm instead of heal.

If you grew up feeling anxious, guilty, invisible, or emotionally unsafe around the people who were supposed to love you, you are not alone—and you are not broken.

Breaking the Chain is written for those who have carried silent wounds from childhood into adulthood and are ready to finally put them down.

Amazon Link - https://a.co/d/01bZdyFz

#betrayalrecovery #emotionalreads #emotionalread #betrayaltraumarecovery #embracevulnerability

3/27 Edited to

... Read moreGrowing up in a family where emotional safety is compromised can leave deep, lasting scars. Through my own experience, I’ve learned that recognizing and acknowledging these silent wounds is the first step toward healing. The pain of feeling invisible or guilty within families that were supposed to nurture us isn’t imaginary — it’s real and valid. Books like 'Breaking the Chain' serve as vital tools for anyone ready to reclaim their life from the grip of toxic family dynamics. They provide trusted guidance to shatter the chains of dysfunction that hold you back, helping you accept vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness. In my journey, I found that embracing vulnerability opened the door to emotional recovery. It allowed me to detach from the guilt that my family’s trauma created and to find personal power in authentic self-expression. This process isn’t easy and takes time; it requires patience and a commitment to self-care. Cutting toxic family ties doesn’t mean forgetting your past — it means reclaiming your future by choosing healthier relationships and boundaries. When we acknowledge the pain and reject shame, we unlock our potential for a vibrant and authentic life. If you or someone you know struggles with betrayal trauma or childhood emotional wounds, know that resources and communities exist to support you. Engaging in healing communities and reading emotional recovery books can be instrumental in your path toward wellness and self-discovery.

Related posts

An infographic titled 'SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE AND PERIMENOPAUSE' lists common symptoms like hot flashes, sleep problems, mood swings, and irregular periods, along with other symptoms such as anxiety, depression, brain fog, and fatigue, branded by PsycHolistic Synergy.
How Perimenopause & menopause: Mental health
Perimenopause can trigger mood swings, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm—yet it’s rarely discussed. Learn the mental health symptoms of premenopause and feel empowered by knowing you're not alone. 💬 Real Talk: Perimenopause & Mental Health – Why Aren’t We Talking About. Let’s have a re
PsycHolistic Synergy

PsycHolistic Synergy

1679 likes

You’re not imagining it, you’re just paying attention
You’re not the type to react to everything. You think things through, you stay level, and you try to handle things the right way. But there are moments that don’t sit right. Conversations that seem to flip on you. Situations where you walk away thinking that didn’t make sense, but you let it go
Kí in Bloom 🎀

Kí in Bloom 🎀

46 likes

Replying to @M. I. If food suddenly tastes metallic or weird during a migraine, you’re not imagining it… 🧠 #migraine #neurology #medicine #chronicillness #headache
Dr. Mina

Dr. Mina

15 likes

Narcissists don’t miss your pain.They use it.
Narcissists don’t miss your pain. They use it. That’s one of the hardest truths to understand after the relationship ends. They knew when you were hurt. They knew what you needed to hear. They knew exactly when an apology would land hardest. And they knew when a small gesture woul
Melissa | Torch & Soul

Melissa | Torch & Soul

3 likes

A black background with white text stating, "If your ADHD suddenly feels worse... here's why." The bottom left has "lemon8 @drjenwolkin" and bottom right "XO, Dr. Jen."
A black background with large white text in the center saying "Hormones." The bottom left has "lemon8 @drjenwolkin" and bottom right "XO, Dr. Jen."
A black background with white text explaining, "Estrogen supports dopamine. Dopamine supports executive function." The bottom left has "lemon8 @drjenwolkin" and bottom right "XO, Dr. Jen."
If your ADHD suddenly feels worse, you’re NOT imagining it.
Especially during perimenopause/menopause. Hormones (especially estrogen) shift how dopamine works in your brain. Dopamine is what helps your executive functions show up. So when estrogen fluctuates, things can feel off. Like: 🧠you lose your train of thought mid-sentence 🧠you walk i
Dr. Jen Wolkin | ADHD + Trauma

Dr. Jen Wolkin | ADHD + Trauma

303 likes

Could it be lupus? What to know BEFORE you see a doctor
You’ve been tired for way too long. Your joints hurt. You feel off. You’ve gone to the doctor… and left with no real answers. Here’s the thing: Lupus can be sneaky. It mimics other conditions and hides behind vague symptoms. And many people (especially women) go years without a diagnosis.
Maria

Maria

113 likes

An image titled "Over 40 Booty Builder" shows a no-equipment workout routine. A woman demonstrates four exercises: Glute Bridges (15 reps), Donkey Kicks (15 reps each side), Glute Bridge Pulses (20 pulses), and Standing Kickbacks (15 reps each side). The text advises to start slow and add reps as you feel stronger.
40+ Booty Builder (No Equipment, Just Consistency)
If you’re over 40 and feel like your booty disappeared somewhere between hormones, kids, stress, and real life… you’re not imagining it — and you’re not broken. Glute muscles are one of the first things to go quiet as we age, especially if we sit a lot or stopped doing intentional strength work. A
MJ | Motherhood Made Easier

MJ | Motherhood Made Easier

140 likes

Have You Lived as an Animal Before?
🦅✨ What if your soul has experienced life beyond being human? In Dolores Cannon’s sessions, clients have recalled living as animals and feeling the world in completely different ways. Not just imagining it, but fully embodying another form of consciousness and seeing life through a new lens. It
qhhtofficial

qhhtofficial

7 likes

if you don’t feel like yourself lately
you’re not imagining it something is shifting
Healing Plant Mama

Healing Plant Mama

24 likes

Think you can’t enjoy the sun with lupus? Think again! You CAN! If lupus makes you sensitive to the sun, you’re not alone. Up to 70% of us experience UV-related flares. Protecting your skin = protecting your health. Here are my non-negotiables when it comes to sun safety and skincare with lupus, p
Maria

Maria

3 likes

A weathered, two-story wooden house with a rusty red metal roof stands under an overcast sky. The dilapidated structure features a brick chimney, a front porch with columns, and numerous broken or empty window panes, suggesting an abandoned or haunted dwelling in a dry grassy field.
You might want to sit down for this one.
Now for the story—you might want to sit down for this one. I was around 12 years old when I started seeing spirits. Or whatever you want to call them. It wasn’t constant, just… enough to make me know I wasn’t imagining things. In the house we lived in back then, I knew there was a little girl
Tasha

Tasha

1858 likes

The Sisterhood of ShadowsChapter 8Nephthys
The Great Weaver descended into the Duat wrapped in her Mother aspect, full-bellied, radiant with the warmth of eternal pregnancy, arms extended as if ready to embrace the world and all its sorrows. This was deliberate. She thought Nephthys would respond better to maternal energy, to the kind of ge
Myria

Myria

34 likes

A mystical image features "11:11" glowing in a cloudy sky above a landscape with ancient structures and people walking towards a bright light beam. Text quotes Isaiah 11:11 about God gathering His people, and phrases like "A divine signal," "Scattered souls," and "The scattered... are being called home" convey a spiritual calling.
11:11 — You’re Not Imagining It
You keep seeing 11:11 for a reason. In Book of Isaiah 11:11, there’s a hidden promise: God will gather His people a second time. Not just from places… but from confusion, distraction, and forgetting who they are. What if this moment we’re living in… is that second calling? A quiet pull is
Ashley Necole

Ashley Necole

144 likes

You've been psychic your whole life!
If you've ever felt like you just "know" things, see flashes of the future, or pick up on energies, others can't. You're not imagining it! Most people have 1-2 dominant psychic abilities without realizing it. Swipe to discover which of the 6 clairs resonate with you most. Have
Rebecca Dragonheart

Rebecca Dragonheart

29 likes

A spell for healing body and soul by The Healing Coven. It features illustrations of purple crystals, a bowl of water, a white candle, and a green candle. The text outlines six steps for the spell, including lighting candles, holding a crystal, writing an intention, and visualizing healing.
Make self-care a ritual, you deserve it ✨
✨ Healing Body & Soul Spell ✨ Purpose: To restore balance, release pain, and invite peace into your mind, body, and spirit. You’ll Need: 1 white candle (for purity & healing) 1 green candle (for health & renewal) A small bowl of water (symbolizing cleansing) A piece of a
Lissa Reed

Lissa Reed

158 likes

Over 40 skin needs smarter care, not stronger.
If you’re over 40, skin changes aren’t subtle — they’re confusing. Breakouts don’t behave the same, fine lines show up faster, and irritation happens more easily. That’s why I use Differin. • It’s a retinoid that helps smooth fine lines • Improves discoloration and uneven tone • Helps with
Frankie💜

Frankie💜

21 likes

Hypervigilance & People Pleasing Recovery
If you’re in a people pleasing recovery season, hypervigilance can feel automatic. Not always panic. Sometimes it looks like reading facial expressions after you speak. Listening for tone changes. Tracking energy shifts after setting a boundary. Waiting to see if the room still feels safe. Th
Eliana Simone Unseen

Eliana Simone Unseen

20 likes

Whether you believe in God 🙏🏻✨or not, whether you consider yourself spiritual or not, whether the narcissist is a family member, a friend, or a romantic partner…. it does not matter. That person has to go. Because evil is real.👹 Just like low vibration and high vibration are real. Just like n
Vi Vi

Vi Vi

2 likes

She imagines him imagining her
#love #unfiltered #aesthetic #lovergirl #cute
sdquv

sdquv

30 likes

What No One Tells You About Life Transitions✨
What no one tells you about being in a transition period of life is that it can feel incredibly overwhelming. Whether you’re transitioning between jobs, relationships, identities, businesses, or chapters of your life, there’s often a period where you know you can’t stay where you’ve been or who
Sacred Light Wellness

Sacred Light Wellness

3 likes

“You deserve the life you keep imagining.”✨🌸
@queenwangui

@queenwangui

1 like

👉SAVE and SHARE because you’re gonna want to come back to this. 👉Whenever there is a CYCLE, a REPETITION, or a catastrophe in our lives, there is a subconscious programming that is waiting to be exalted. This is not saying you deserve it, that you manifest it, or that you actually desired bad th
THE MENS COACH

THE MENS COACH

24 likes

You’re not imagining it
Something in your life is shifting. You’ve been feeling it: ⚡ The tension ⚡ The confusion ⚡ The sense that something isn’t the same anymore And this reading confirms it— A truth is about to come out. A decision is going to have to be made. And something that’s no longer aligned… is be
MadamConjure

MadamConjure

3 likes

Everyone talks about the joint pain and fatigue, but there are so many lupus symptoms that don’t get enough attention — the ones that make you feel *isolated*, confused, or straight-up gaslit by your own body. Brain fog that makes you forget your own thoughts mid-sentence. Hair loss that feel
Maria

Maria

1 like

“An auto buy for second chance romance fans!”
Hey friends! My bestie over at St. Martin’s Press were so kind to send me over a copy of Never Over by Clare Gilmore! Thank you so much to them! The book sounds like a good cozy romance, I’ll report back with all my thoughts! Would you guys pick this one up? Reading the synopsis, th
Kenia Mamo

Kenia Mamo

11 likes

Endometriosis isn’t something you “push through.”
It’s something you learn to live around often without support, answers, or validation. If this resonates, I see you. You’re not dramatic. You’re not lazy. You’re not imagining it. Chronic illness changes how you move, eat, train, rest, and relate to your body and that deserves compassion and
killitwithkenz

killitwithkenz

1 like

ADHD & PMDD Are Connected! If you’ve ever felt like your ADHD becomes unmanageable before
ADHD & PMDD Are Connected! If you’ve ever felt like your ADHD becomes unmanageable before your period, you’re not imagining it. Want access to a bonus PMDD workshop with me on June 10th (with replay)? Comment 💛WORKSHOP💛 on insta and FB. Emerging research shows that women with ADHD are significantly
Dr. Jolene Brighten

Dr. Jolene Brighten

0 likes

A stack of colorful KDP journals is displayed, with the top journal featuring green text that reads "KDP Journals That I've made & Love" on a dark background.
A journal cover features an illustration of a jackalope with a floral crown, set against a background of pine trees and a light blue sky. The text "Jackalope" and "THERE'S JUST SOMETHING SO ADORABLE ABOUT A JACKALOPE" are visible.
A journal cover displays a dreamy illustration of whales swimming among clouds and stars in a purple night sky, with a sailing ship also in the sky. The text "Whale Skies" and "THIS ONE IS SO DREAMY FOR ME" are present.
My favorite KDP Journals I’ve made!
creating kdp journals has honestly become one of my favorite creative outlets ✨ there’s something so fun about bringing an idea to life…from designing the cover to imagining who might fill the pages someday. it feels like a mix of creativity, storytelling, and a little bit of magic 💭📓 and
kylie 📚🐉🏡

kylie 📚🐉🏡

29 likes

What doctor don’t tell us about lupus .
🩸 Part 1: What Doctors Don’t Tell You About Lupus ✨ What doctors don’t always say… we need to start saying out loud. Lupus doesn’t just affect your joints. It shifts your life. From misdiagnosis to emotional breakdowns, this is the real story of autoimmune survival. Save this post for when yo
Chakrabaeselfcare

Chakrabaeselfcare

57 likes

Hidden Signs of ADHD: Insights for Women
Hello honey ❤️ Living with ADHD is like navigating through a maze of surprises, and sometimes, the symptoms manifest in unexpected ways, especially for women. Let’s delve into some lesser-known ADHD symptoms that you might not expect but are more common than you think. Here’s the lowdown: 📌
Alena Artemenko

Alena Artemenko

107 likes

Me imagining my dad as a kid:
😭🙏
༄ 𝐉𝐚𝐱 ꒱༘‧

༄ 𝐉𝐚𝐱 ꒱༘‧

7 likes

how trauma shows up in your pelvic floor
I didn’t realize how much my body held onto stress until I started noticing tension in places I never thought about—like my pelvic floor. I used to think pelvic floor issues were just about childbirth or aging, but turns out, trauma and stress can play a huge role too. If you’ve ever felt unexplain
gabrielleassaf

gabrielleassaf

20 likes

Ever feel like things get weird around the full moon? Like your sleep is off, your mood is wild, and your symptoms flare? You’re not imagining it. Parasites are more active during the full moon — and that’s often when chronic symptoms spike. In Episode 3 of my Parasites & Chronic Illness
fireandiceholistichealth

fireandiceholistichealth

4 likes

The future is built first in the mind.
One of humanity's oldest superpowers may be imagination. Long before cities, science, spacecraft, or the internet, our ancestors were imagining things that didn't yet exist. They imagined stories around campfires. They imagined spirits, ancestors, and possibilities. They imagined new
Heidilin Bertz

Heidilin Bertz

3 likes

Was that a yes or am I imagining things? 👂🏽
Every time I ask if he wants chicken… he answers. 🐔 Now he’s sitting there waiting like I understood him. #catbehavior #catparent #orangecats #petparent #catsoflemon8
Let’s Smile Today

Let’s Smile Today

17 likes

An atmospheric image showing various crystals (including black, purple, green, and clear) on a light cloth, alongside a lit candle, a cup, and a book on a wooden surface. A red lunar eclipse is visible through a window. Text overlays read 'CRYSTALS FOR lunar eclipse overwhelm' and 'www.snowmoontwins.com'.
🌚🌖Crystals for Lunar Eclipse Overwhelm
If you’ve been feeling emotional waves, exhaustion, vivid dreams, or heightened sensitivity lately, you are not imagining it. Eclipse energy tends to stir the subconscious, amplify intuition, and surface emotions that were quietly waiting to be processed. The goal is not to shut your sensiti
MEG | Twin Psychic Medium ✨️

MEG | Twin Psychic Medium ✨️

19 likes

The Fear of Finishing ✨
#thebecomingjourney #completion #embracevulnerability I admitted something to myself that day that felt surprisingly vulnerable: Finishing scared me. Not because I didn’t love what I had created… but because completion felt unfamiliar. I had spent so much of my life beginning thin
✨Shonna Marie ✨

✨Shonna Marie ✨

13 likes

Nobody warned me that Graves disease can mess with your muscles. I thought hyperthyroidism was just fast heart rate, anxiety, weight loss, sweaty hands. But my body was quietly eating my strength too. Graves can trigger muscle weakness, soreness, cramping, and even muscle wasting for some pe
Elena | thyroid love club

Elena | thyroid love club

1 like

Bestie talk real quick…
I know what it feels like to be pushed so far, you start imagining all the ways you could match their energy. Petty. Cold. Distant. Even cruel. But that’s not you. Letting this world harden you? That’s the real loss. You’ve already been through enough — don’t let the pain turn you into som
Belle✨Your Spiritual Bestie✨

Belle✨Your Spiritual Bestie✨

25 likes

Diary Of A Hood Chick…. Part 1
Hennessy sat quietly by the ferry window, her forehead resting against the cool glass as she watched the dark water roll beneath the vessel. The sky was painted in shades of orange and gray, signaling the end of another day. Normally, the view calmed her nerves. Tonight was different. A stran
Forevermaaaeeeeee7

Forevermaaaeeeeee7

12 likes

If you’ve ever wondered why your body feels like it’s falling apart when life looks “fine” on the outside—this is for you. I had this reality force me to face it because no one told me what happens when you carry childhood trauma without ever stopping to look at it. No one told me what surviv
Laurel

Laurel

59 likes

This room finally feels like the version I kept imagining.
You may find some of my home pieces linked in my bio through LTK, ShopMy, and more 🤍 #cozy #diningroom #cozyathome #cozyaesthetic #vintagemodern
Igeehomelifestyle

Igeehomelifestyle

30 likes

🌟 Did You Know You Have 15 Senses?🌸
🌟 Did You Know You Have 15 Senses? We Didn’t Come to This World to Collect a Check, but to Feel. 🌟 Remember, you did not come into this world to receive a check. You came to live. To breathe. To experience. To look at life through your own eyes and decide what you want to create, feel, and
The Woman on Fire 🔥

The Woman on Fire 🔥

8 likes

You are not becoming... you are remembering.
Not everyone will understand this message. Not everyone is meant to. If you feel something stirring… if your body reacts before your mind can explain it… if these words feel less like information and more like remembrance... then this was meant to find you. This is not about becoming someone
lyricalnovarising

lyricalnovarising

18 likes

A dimly lit scene featuring a hanging paper with an inspirational quote, a plant, a mushroom ornament, and a lit candle. Overlay text reads, "I think depression is winning..." reflecting the article's theme of struggle and despair.
coping with depression?
This poem is raw, heavy, and deeply vulnerable. It wrestles with isolation, mental health, and the struggle to feel connected to the world and others. ⸻ The poem explores the experience of depression, questioning its nature and expressing the feeling of being trapped, disconnected, and lost i
𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖙𝖓𝖊𝖞 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖙𝖓𝖊𝖞 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

14 likes

You’re not imagining it
Most men don’t talk about this But a lot of us have felt it You sleep and wake up still tired Not because you’re weak Not because you didn’t try hard enough It’s just that your recovery isn’t what it used to be One good night of sleep used to fix everything Now it doesn’t quite
Lina Bloom

Lina Bloom

1 like

We were born to...
For a long time, imagination was treated like it was childish. Unrealistic. Secondary to “real life.” And yet almost everything humanity has ever built existed in someone’s imagination first. Cities. Flight. Medicine. Music. Space travel. The internet. Art. Scientific breakthroughs. Entire ci
Heidilin Bertz

Heidilin Bertz

3 likes

See more