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What if the real heartbreak isn’t what someone did to you, but the quiet moments you left yourself to keep the peace? Dr. Donna takes us into the heart of self-abandonment—how it forms, how it hides in everyday choices, and how to return to a life that honors your needs without apology. We start with a clear definition and trace the pattern from childhood conditioning and emotional neglect to adult habits like overgiving, settling, avoiding hard conversations, and masking your gifts to be liked or chosen.

Together we examine the nervous system’s fawn response and why connection can feel safer than authenticity when conflict once meant danger. Dr. Donna breaks the topic into real-life domains—emotional, relational, physical, spiritual, financial, and identity—so you can spot where you’re minimizing feelings, ignoring red flags, overworking, undercharging, or becoming the fixer. You’ll learn to read the body’s cues of self-betrayal: tight chest, shallow breath, gut tension, jaw clenching, numbness, and the anxious urge to keep everyone happy. From there, we move into practices that rebuild self-trust: the hand-to-heart check-in, the somatic yes-no, micro boundaries that create space, and daily self-loyalty questions that anchor you in truth.

If you’ve ever said yes when every cell said no, this conversation offers a gentle, practical path home. Expect grounded tools, compassionate stories, and journal prompts that help you choose yourself with clarity. You deserve relationships that see you and a life where your needs are honored. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find their way back to themselves.

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