Mother Mayhem: For Daughters of Narcissistic or Emotionally Limited Mothers Podcast By Heather Gray LICSW cover art

Mother Mayhem: For Daughters of Narcissistic or Emotionally Limited Mothers

Mother Mayhem: For Daughters of Narcissistic or Emotionally Limited Mothers

By: Heather Gray LICSW
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Welcome to Mother Mayhem, the podcast for daughters of narcissistic and emotionally limited mothers. I’m Heather Gray, licensed therapist and narcissistic abuse recovery expert. If you're healing from the mother wound, emotional neglect, or childhood trauma, you’re in the right place. Start with the first 8 episodes—they lay the foundation for your healing. Learn to understand your experience, set boundaries, and build more honest, grounded relationships. Listener questions are welcome. You’re not alone. Other daughters are here. I am, too.Heather Gray, LICSW Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • 136. I’m 16. My Mom is Incapable: Still Living with the Mother Who Hurts You
    Apr 8 2026

    This week’s episode is different.

    For the first time, we hear from a daughter who is still living at home with the mother who is hurting her.

    She’s 16. She’s doing everything she can to hold it together. And she’s counting the days until she can leave.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    What it means to still be in it, not healing from the past but surviving the present

    Anger, and why it’s not the problem

    How to stay grounded in yourself when the environment around you isn’t safe

    What it looks like to get through the next stretch without losing who you are

    We also hear from her grandmother, her safe person, and explore the role that one steady, loving relationship can play in a daughter’s life.

    I’ll be taking a short break from releasing new episodes to give myself some space but Mayhem isn’t going anywhere. I’ll be back soon.

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    46 mins
  • 135. Why Emotional Eating Makes Sense for Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers
    Apr 1 2026

    Food didn’t become comfort by accident.

    For many daughters, food became the safest way to soothe themselves when feelings were too big, too inconvenient, or too unwelcome for the people around them.

    Food didn’t roll its eyes. Food didn’t tell you that you were overreacting. Food didn’t walk away.

    It helped you settle your nervous system the best way you knew how.This week, we’re talking honestly about the complicated relationship many daughters of narcissistic or emotionally limited mothers have with food.

    This conversation explores:

    Why emotional eating makes sense in the context of childhood trauma

    The difference between comfort, control, and coping with food

    How food often becomes protection when emotional needs aren’t met

    Why shame never helps change these patterns

    Practical ways to start responding to emotional eating with more awareness and compassion

    Healing isn’t about shaming yourself out of emotional eating.

    It’s about learning how to listen to the feelings underneath it so food doesn’t have to carry quite so much of the weight anymore.

    Looking for more Mayhem? MayhemDaughter.com

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    38 mins
  • 134. Daughters, We’ve Got Ourselves a Broken Heart
    Mar 25 2026

    Today, we are building the official Mother Mayhem Heartbreak Survival Kit.

    You know the drill.

    Pajamas Tissues. At least one song on repeat. And a movie you’ve seen so many times you can recite it by heart.

    Because daughters… we have a daughter who needs her sisters right now.

    After four years together and a beautiful beach proposal, she thought she had finally found home. Safety. Love. A future.

    And then her mother happened.

    So come sit with us.

    A daughter’s broken heart deserves backup and today, we’re showing up.




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    31 mins
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Do yourself a favor; just listen to this. This issue is so profoundly destructive. It's hard to find validation if you've ever experienced this kind of abuse. This podcast has excellent production values, is well narrated, and is deeply affirming as well as healing. A SERIOUSLY great podcast!!

HIGHLY Recommended!!

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This spoke so many things that resonated deeply with me. I’ve read a lot on this topic, but found so much here that felt very accessible and well-articulated. This is a tremendous resource.

Validating & Practical

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