Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes 1095 - Is Your Inner Child Sabotaging Your Mental Health?
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Feb 13, 2026 They explore an anxious inner child and where those triggers come from. They cover how chronic stress, hormones, and inflammation affect mood and the body. They talk about emotional dysregulation, cognitive rigidity under stress, and the loud inner critic. They explain environmental triggers, breaking autopilot reactions, and using compassionate self-care to promote healing and change.
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Visualizing The Anxious Inner Child
- Imagine caring for a child who is restless, impulsive, and hypervigilant as a way to picture your inner child.
- Dr. Donnelly Snipes explains that this exhausted caregiver-child dynamic mirrors how past trauma persists in adults.
Early Powerlessness Fuels Chronic Stress
- Childhood feelings of powerlessness can chronically activate the stress response into adulthood.
- This sustained activation dysregulates hormones and neurotransmitters, worsening mood and motivation.
Stress Drives Inflammation And Brain Impact
- Persistent cortisol from chronic stress causes systemic inflammation and can harm brain cells.
- That inflammation then amplifies stress and further disrupts neurotransmitters and mood.