venting or vicious: escaping the grip of toxic gossip [preview]

In this premium preview, we’re diving deep into the timeless and complex world of gossip. From its ancient social roots to the tabloid frenzy of the '90s, gossip has played a significant role in shaping societies, beliefs, and relationships. This episode unpacks why gossip seems to be an irresistible human behavior, drawing insights from evolutionary psychology and cultural studies. You’ll gain practical guidance on managing a gossip habit, navigating rumors, and understanding how different spiritual traditions view the morality of gossip. We’ll explore how gossip can sometimes serve a social purpose, helping to strengthen group bonds or reinforce social norms—but we’ll also look at how it turns toxic, and the lasting impact it can leave on people’s lives. This episode will shed light on why we gossip, when it becomes harmful, and what you can do to shift away from it when it no longer serves you.Topics Discussed:What is Gossip, Really? A deep dive into gossip as a social and psychological phenomenon.Evolutionary Roots of Gossip: Can gossip serve a constructive social function, or is it purely harmful?Psychology of Gossip: Why are people so drawn to gossip, and what does it reveal about our minds and needs?When Gossip Becomes Toxic: How to recognize when sharing information crosses the line into damaging behavior.Venting vs. Gossip: Learn to distinguish between releasing frustration and spreading harmful rumors.Celebrity Culture’s Influence: How tabloid journalism and ‘90s celebrity culture shifted our relationship with rumors and gossip.Gender and Gossip: Exploring stereotypes about who gossips more and what research reveals about this gendered myth.Breaking the Gossip Cycle: Strategies for breaking free from a gossip habit.Coping with Being the Subject of Gossip: How to maintain self-worth and navigate rumors about yourself.Spiritual Perspectives on Gossip: How different spiritual teachings approach and critique gossip.This episode promises a balanced exploration of gossip’s social functions and personal impacts, offering a fresh perspective on why we gossip and how we can choose a path that supports healthier, more authentic connections.Craving more? Become a Premium Submarine. Join an exclusive community and unlock hundreds of hours of members-only content: full-length episodes, deep-dive series, guided meditations, and more—all for the cost of a couple of coffees a month. Start exploring at backfromtheborderline.com.The information contained in this podcast episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

I don’t want to talk to your personality; I want to talk to your soul. Imagine if your most painful and debilitating mental health symptoms and self-sabotaging behaviors aren’t evidence of 'disorder' or 'dysfunction', but adaptive strategies that once kept you safe. My goal is to help you shift from asking ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?’The word ‘borderline’ in this podcast isn’t about psychiatric labels. It’s about coming back from the inner psychological brink we all experience. Everyone has found themselves on the edge, in that liminal space where the old self falls apart and the new Self emerges. Here, we explore what it means to undergo true emotional alchemy: that ancient and primordial process of falling apart, confronting the underworld of our psyche, and falling back together into someone stronger, wiser, and more whole.Many highly sensitive people who identify with the seemingly never-ending list of diagnostic mental health labels contained within ‘the bible of psychiatry’ (the DSM) share the same underlying sense of being irreparably broken, disconnected from their intuition, and paralyzed by life’s existential questions. I believe the resulting—and perfectly understandable—chronic feelings of emptiness and spiritual starvation are the TRUE causes of our current collective ‘mental health crisis.’ Together, we’ll dive into depth psychology, mythology, human consciousness, critical psychiatry, and the impact of trauma to help you begin the process of emotional alchemy. This exploration will help you get to the root cause of your suffering and free yourself from the toxic shame, limiting beliefs, and mental programming that have kept you locked in the chains of your past.In an era where mental health and spirituality are too often commercialized, I’m not here as a guru with a quick fix to sell you. I don’t believe anyone is ever truly ‘healed’ or ‘cured.’ There is no return to some mythical state of pre-trauma purity, but rather a continuous spiral of unbecoming, unlearning, and transformation. As a fellow seeker, I will be there in your ear, walking alongside you on your path toward wholeness as a sort of parasocial big sister. That, I can promise. By integrating the concepts we explore together, you’ll begin to see that anyone—even you—can come back from the borderline.CRAVING MORE? Visit backfromtheborderline.com to dive into my universe, connect with me, access my Patreon, and discover more about my journey and work. Don’t forget to follow Back from the Borderline so new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays automatically drop into your podcast feed. acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.