⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode contains candid discussion of mental illness, suicidal ideation, and emotional trauma. Please listen with care and step away if you need to. Resources and support are available in the episode description.

This week on Bare & Brutal, I sit down with Ally Loyns, certified peer supporter and advocate for mental health awareness, to challenge the dangerous misconceptions around Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) — and what it actually means to live, feel, and thrive with this diagnosis.

If you Google “BPD life expectancy,” the internet paints a bleak picture. But Ally? She’s living proof that the story doesn’t have to end at 27.

We talk about:

• The horrifying narrative surrounding BPD and suicide rates

• Why shame, stigma, and silence keep us from seeking support

• The role of community, creativity, and advocacy in healing

• What recovery actually looks like when you’re ready to feel again

Whether you live with BPD or love someone who does, this episode holds space for the nuance, pain, and possibility that often gets left out of the mental health conversation.

If you’ve ever felt like your diagnosis was a sentence — this is for you.

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You’re not broken. You’re not lacking. And there’s nothing you need to prove to be worthy.

In this episode of Bare & Brutal, I sit down with Coach Christian Johnson, a mindset coach and speaker from the Elevate It Podcast, to talk about the subtle but powerful shift that happens when we stop chasing healing from a place of emptiness — and start living from a place of abundance.

Christian opens up about his own journey through insecurity, his evolving relationship with religion and spirituality, and what it truly means to believe you are already enough.

We talk about:

• What it means to live in wholeness

• The difference between fixing yourself and finding yourself

• Why first-gen founders, cycle-breakers, and survivor-leaders often struggle with worthiness

• How affirmations and mindset work can actually support healing when it’s authentic

• Reclaiming imagination and abundance as sacred tools

This one is for anyone who’s ever felt like they were behind in life, not good enough, or waiting to “deserve” their next level.

You’re not too late. You’re not too broken. You’ve always had what you needed.

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TW: Abuse, Trauma, Justice System

This conversation contains discussions around emotional and psychological abuse, patterns of manipulation, and systemic injustice toward survivors. We encourage you to prioritize your mental well-being and pause if needed.

This week on Bare and Brutal, Michelle sits down with Noelle Cope, writer and founder of Notes from the In-Between, to talk about what survivor advocacy really looks like. Noelle shares her story and unpacks the complexity of abusive dynamics—like future faking, financial manipulation, and emotional coercion—that the justice system still doesn’t know how to hold.

They explore what it means to be believed, how creative outlets support healing, and how first-gen survivors often carry the weight of both survival and visibility.

If you’re a first-gen founder or creative trying to build something powerful while healing from something painful, this episode will speak directly to you.

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