This episode digs into the question, “Who’s actually driving the car inside your mind?” Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), I break down how anger, fear, shame, hesitation, and even revenge can hijack the wheel in a split second—leaving you wondering why you reacted the way you did. We look at protectors, firefighters, managers, and the parts of you that step up when you feel hurt, betrayed, embarrassed, or threatened. I share the moment I first learned “there are no bad parts,” and how that shifted my relationship with my own anger and the parts of me built for retribution and self-protection.

We also talk about why Self—not ego, not wounded history, not survival strategies—is the one who should be driving. If you've ever looked back and thought, “That wasn’t the version of me I want behind the wheel,” this episode gives you a way to understand what happened and how to get the keys back. You’ll walk away with a practice you can use this week to notice which part is driving and how to let Self lead with clarity instead of fear.

Check out the website for articles published weekly: www.naplesintegratedrecovery.com

Want to work together? I see psychotherapy clients in Florida:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/brian-granneman-naples-fl/1153470

I also offer accountability, coaching, and sober companion services. Send an email: brian@naplesintegratedrecovery.com

Why do relationships sometimes hurt more than they should — and when is that pain actually telling the truth?

This episode explores how attachment patterns, negativity bias, and nervous-system threat detection amplify conflict in intimate relationships. You’ll hear why closeness raises emotional stakes, how anxious and avoidant strategies escalate under stress, and where insight helps — and where it can quietly turn into self-blame.

The episode also draws a clear line between nervous-system reactivity and real relational problems, emphasizing repair, structure, and accountability rather than minimizing harm.

A grounded, neuroscience-informed look at why love alone doesn’t regulate relationships — and what actually creates stability under stress.

Check out the website for articles published weekly: www.naplesintegratedrecovery.com

Want to work together? I see psychotherapy clients in Florida:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/brian-granneman-naples-fl/1153470

I also offer accountability, coaching, and sober companion services. Send an email: brian@naplesintegratedrecovery.com

Most of the pain you feel isn’t coming from the moment itself — it’s coming from the way your brain interprets the moment. In this episode, we break down the neural circuits behind suffering: the amygdala’s threat response, the insula’s reading of bodily sensations, the dopamine and norepinephrine loops that drive craving and avoidance, the prefrontal cortex going offline under stress, and the default mode network turning discomfort into self-story and catastrophe. And we explore why certain timeless principles — acceptance, clarity, presence, aligned action — reliably calm these systems down. No dogma, no mysticism. Just the biology of why we suffer, and the practical skills that help us stop multiplying the pain.

Check out the website for articles published weekly: www.naplesintegratedrecovery.com

Want to work together? I see psychotherapy clients in Florida:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/brian-granneman-naples-fl/1153470

I also offer accountability, coaching, and sober companion services. Send an email: brian@naplesintegratedrecovery.com