Shows
Breaking Cycles with MariaEP 30: Maria & Madge: The Fixer’s Trap — When Control Becomes ComfortIn this episode of Breaking Cycles with Maria, Maria and Madge explore a question many people quietly struggle with:Why do some of us feel responsible for fixing everything—and everyone?What begins as a conversation about problem-solving quickly reveals something deeper: the connection between anxiety, control, perfectionism, and the need to keep everything "just right" in order to feel okay.Maria challenges Madge to examine how fixing, organizing, cleaning, and managing situations can become ways of soothing internal discomfort. Together, they discuss anxiety, OCD tendencies, self-imposed rules, retirement, loneliness, and the difficulty of...
2026-06-1144 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 29: Maria & Madge: Picking Up Where We Left OffLife got busy again.Months passed, schedules filled up, and before we knew it, another conversation was waiting to happen.In this episode, Madge and I pick up where we left off and talk about friendship, growth, changing seasons of life, and why sometimes the smallest changes create the biggest shifts in our relationships.Sometimes people reconnect instantly.Sometimes they reconnect slowly.And sometimes they're still figuring out what that connection looks like today.We talk about:• How friendships evolve over time• Why some...
2026-06-0531 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 28: The Narcissistic Mother Blueprint Part 3 — Mother–Son Dynamics, Loyalty, and Emotional EnmeshmentIn Part 3 of the Narcissistic Mother Blueprint Series, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, explores the often misunderstood mother–son dynamic and how emotional loyalty, guilt, enmeshment, and cultural expectations can quietly shape a son’s identity, boundaries, and adult relationships.Maria breaks down how emotional over-responsibility can develop early in childhood and why many sons grow up feeling emotionally responsible for protecting, stabilizing, or emotionally carrying a parent without fully realizing it. The episode explores how these patterns later show up in adulthood through guilt, conflict avoidance, divided loyalty, emotional shutdown, difficulty setting boundaries, and relationship struggles.This...
2026-05-2132 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 27: Part 2 of the Narcissistic Mother Blueprint SeriesPart 2 — Mother–Daughter Dynamics | Narcissistic Mother Blueprint SeriesThis episode is Part 2 of the Narcissistic Mother Blueprint Series on Breaking Up with Toxicity, where we explore how narcissistic parenting dynamics, dysfunctional family systems, and early attachment patterns shape identity, boundaries, and adult relationships.In this episode, we focus specifically on mother–daughter dynamics, examining how subtle competition, approval tied to performance or appearance, emotional withdrawal, criticism disguised as guidance, and identity mirroring can quietly shape daughters’ self-concept, emotional development, and relational expectations across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.We discuss how these patterns often intensif...
2026-02-1929 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 26: Part 1 of the Narcissistic Mother Blueprint SeriesIn this episode of Breaking Up with Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, begins the Narcissistic Mother Blueprint Series, a multi-part series exploring how narcissistic maternal dynamics shape emotional development, family roles, identity formation, attachment patterns, and adult relationship experiences.Drawing from attachment theory, developmental psychology, trauma research, and decades of clinical work on narcissistic personality structures — including the foundational contributions of Otto Kernberg and contemporary clinical education from Ramani Durvasula — this episode explains how early emotional environments create relational blueprints that often continue influencing boundaries, communication patterns, and emotional decision-making long into adulthood.Topics explored include:na...
2026-02-1716 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 25: When Healing Feels Like Grief: The Part No One Warns You AboutWhen Healing Feels Like Grief: The Part No One Warns You AboutHealing is supposed to feel empowering… right?So why does it sometimes feel lonely, heavy, or heartbreaking instead?In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC talks about the part of healing no one prepares you for—the grief that comes with growth. The grief of outgrowing relationships that can’t come with you. The grief of letting go of survival patterns that once kept you safe. The grief of rea...
2026-02-0520 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 24: Not Everyone Is a Narcissist: Personality Traits Are Not DiagnosesNarcissist.Borderline.Toxic.But here’s the problem—personality traits are being confused with personality disorders, and that confusion is costing people clarity, peace, and the ability to respond accurately in their relationships.In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, licensed mental health counselor Maria Shkreli breaks down the real difference between personality traits and personality disorders, using clear, real-life examples from romantic relationships, families, and everyday interactions.You’ll learn:What personality traits actually are and how they show up under stressWhat makes a personality disorder fundam...
2026-01-2910 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 23: Social Media Has Created a New Kind of AbuseWhat actually qualifies as abuse?When does abuse become domestic violence?And how did social media turn these life-saving terms into weapons of confusion?In this episode of Breaking Up with Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC breaks down the critical differences between dysfunction, toxicity, abuse, and domestic violence—and explains why misusing these terms can cause real harm.As a society, we’ve evolved. Behaviors that were once normalized—like yelling, explosive tempers, and emotional volatility—are now being questioned. That progress matters.But somewhere along the way, context and nuance w...
2026-01-2212 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 22: Pulled Apart: How Parental Alienation Breaks FamiliesParental alienation is one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged dynamics in family systems—and when it’s oversimplified, it can cause real harm.In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, breaks down what parental alienation actually is, how it develops, why it happens, and what it looks like in real families—without blame, labels, or sound-bite psychology.This conversation explores:What parental alienation is—and what it is notHow children become caught in adult pain and loyalty conflictsThe emotional and psychological patterns that drive alienationDifferent types of parents who may...
2026-01-1513 min
Beneath Suspicion033. Martin Shkreli: Pharma Greed, Securities Fraud, and Public InfamyAll episodes of this podcast are fully researched, written, and edited by our human production team. The final audio is generated using text-to-speech technology to deliver consistent narration quality and listening experience.----------------The 'Pharma Bro' who raised drug prices 5,000% became a symbol of corporate greed, but it was securities fraud that sent him to prison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2026-01-0930 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 21: Estrangement: Healing, Harm — or Something In Between?Estrangement isn’t just “cutting people off.”It can be protection… and it can also be avoidance disguised as healing.In this episode, Maria Shkreli, LMHC breaks down the truth behind estrangement — what it actually is, the different types, and why it’s far more complex than social media makes it seem.We explore how trauma, family dynamics, and unresolved attachment wounds can lead to distance — but also how trend-driven messages, including the popular “Let Them” narrative popularized by Mel Robbins, can quietly push people toward isolation without reflection, context, or accountability.In this episode...
2026-01-0813 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 20: They’re Not Defiant — They’re Insecure (Parents, You’re Missing the Signs)What if the behavior you’re calling defiance isn’t defiance at all?In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, licensed mental health counselor Maria Shkreli breaks down one of the most misunderstood dynamics in parenting: the difference between true defiance and deep insecurity in kids and teens.You’ll learn why so many children are punished for fear, shame, and overwhelm — and how mislabeling insecurity as defiance quietly damages trust, communication, and emotional safety. Maria explains what defiance actually is, what insecurity looks like at different developmental stages, how behavior changes from childhood into ado...
2025-12-1811 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 19: When Empathy Meets Attachment: Why You Misread People Even When You Think You Understand ThemEver wonder why your partner’s “help” feels cold… why their silence triggers panic… or why you keep having the same arguments even when you both mean well?In this episode, Maria Shkreli, breaks down the powerful intersection between your attachment style and your empathy style — the two systems that secretly shape how you love, comfort, react, and communicate.You’ll learn why:• Anxious attachers crave emotional empathy• Avoidant attachers default to logical empathy• Secure attachers offer balanced, compassionate empathy• Disorganized attachers switch their empathy based on fear and overwhelmThr...
2025-12-1112 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 18: Attachment Styles: The Silent Saboteurs — How They Screw Up Your Relationships (and How They Can Save Them)Your reactions aren’t random — they’re wired.Your fears aren’t “too much” — they’re patterns.And your relationship struggles aren’t failures — they’re attachment styles playing out in real time.In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC exposes how your attachment style was shaped long before you ever dated anyone… and how it still dictates the way you love, fight, connect, shut down, panic, or pull away today.Maria breaks down the four attachment styles — Secure, Anxious, Avoidant, and Disorganized — using real, relatable everyday scenarios: the unread text that...
2025-12-0425 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 17: You Think You’re Empathetic… But You’re Probably Not: The Three Empathies You Never LearnedMost people walk around proudly believing they’re “empathetic.”But here’s the truth: you probably only have **one** of the three empathies — and the misalignment between what you think you’re giving and what others actually need is quietly blowing up your relationships.In this episode, Maria Shkreli breaks down the REAL psychology of empathy:Cognitive, Emotional, and Compassionate.What they are, how they develop, why most people only master one, and how these mismatches create conflict, resentment, emotional distance, and constant misunderstandings.You’ll hear:• The full explana...
2025-11-2915 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 16: It’s Not Your Anger — It’s Your Relationship With ItAnger isn’t the problem — it’s how we use it. In this raw and eye-opening episode, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, breaks down anger, the three faces of toxic rage — Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Splitting, and Narcissistic Rage — the enabler, and how they destroy connection, trust, and peace.You’ll learn how these emotional explosions start, what fuels them, and why they’re more about fear and control than strength. Maria shares powerful examples of what this looks and sounds like in real life — from the partner who screams to feel seen, to the parent who weaponizes silence, to the coworker who...
2025-11-0637 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 15: When the Narcissist Is a Woman: The Silent Storm No One Talks AboutWe talk endlessly about narcissistic men — but what happens when the narcissist is a woman?In this episode, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, breaks down why narcissistic women are often harder to recognize, confront, and recover from — whether she’s your mother, your partner, or your boss. You’ll learn how manipulation hides beneath care, how control disguises itself as love, and how living with this dynamic rewires your entire sense of self.Many of these women grew up watching their mothers destroy men — and swore they’d never do the same.But unhealed daughters don’t break...
2025-10-3020 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 14: Stop Chasing the Insanity: You Can’t Fix Every ProblemIn this raw and unapologetically honest episode, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, breaks down why you keep trying to fix everyone’s problems — and why it’s driving you insane.From rescuing friends and managing your partner’s emotions to cleaning up everyone’s chaos at work and home — this “fixer” pattern isn’t compassion, it’s control in disguise.Maria calls out how unrealistic expectations, distorted thinking, and anxious attachment keep you stuck in cycles of burnout, resentment, and emotional chaos. You’ll learn:Why your need to “fix things” is really about calming your own anxietyHow...
2025-10-2311 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 13: Maria & Madge: Reconnecting – Episode 2: Let’s Talk About Our Forgiveness and UnderstandingLast week, we started closing the 19-year gap in our friendship. The conversation went deep—maybe a little off track—but it took us exactly where we needed to go.This week, we’re circling back to some of those moments that needed more space… the ones that deserve understanding, forgiveness, and maybe even a little closure. We also cleared the air about something that hurt both of us in the past—because real friendship means being honest, even when it’s uncomfortable.And no, we still didn’t make it to The Cheesecake Factory this time eith...
2025-10-1626 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 12: Reconnecting Chapters: Maria & Madge – 19 Years Apart. One Dinner. Endless Stories.After 19 years on separate paths, lifelong friends Maria and Madge finally reconnected in late August. What was meant to be a simple dinner turned into something much deeper—laughter, nostalgia, unexpected truths, and conversations that touched a nerve. I felt that in our first episode, it touched on some wounds we needed to understand so we could move ahead.This first episode is just the beginning. We only scratched the surface, yet even the little we shared reminded us how distance and time never erase the bond of real friendship.In this series, we’ll open...
2025-10-0915 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 11: Rosa’s Story: Healing, Patterns, and Parenting Through DepressionRosa came to talk about her adult child’s depression — but what unfolded was way bigger. The deeper we went, the more it became clear: her own upbringing, family patterns, and old wounds were shaping today’s struggles in ways she hadn’t realized.This episode pulls back the curtain on the invisible ties between parents and children — the unspoken rules, the pressure to keep the peace, and the cycle of dysfunction that sneaks in when no one is looking.It’s raw. It’s honest. It will make you ask yourself: Am I repeating cycles I swore...
2025-10-0234 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 10: The Comeback: It’s a Reset.I’m back — returning with clarity, reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose. After over a year away, navigating a life-changing health journey, I’m here, I’m ready, and I can’t wait to continue this journey with you.Life reset me: a stroke, two brain aneurysms, and surgeries that made me rethink everything. This comeback episode isn’t just an update — it’s proof that healing, balance, and self-reflection are possible, even in the face of the unexpected. I’m ready to rediscover the direction of Breaking Up with Toxicity and bring this space back to life.Hoste...
2025-09-2513 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 9: John Participates in the “bubble challenge.” I can tell your attachment style and irrational thought patternIn today's show, Maria continued her talk with John as he embarks on his personal journey of self-discovery; he finds himself at a crossroads, questioning the authenticity of the choices he's been making. Determined to unravel the complexities of his identity, he courageously takes on the challenge presented by "How You Sit Your Bubble," recognizing it as an opportunity to delve deeper into understanding who he is. There are many questions about whether we are breaking cycles or maintaining more of the unhealthy behaviors because they are normalized.
2023-12-2023 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 8: A Man's Journey Discovering Authenticity; Boundaries, Enmeshed Families, Breaking Traditional Family Cycles - Part 2In today's show, Maria continues her talk with John, and they discussed thoughts about the previous episode. John stated he was “stuck” for a week because he had no definite answer about why he paid for that meal. The conversation today is turning into a journey for John as the show becomes a place where John is learning and exploring his true authenticity, his attachment style, what is generational trauma, boundaries, and what an enmeshed family is. Thoughts and experiences are shared, and John continues to explore his personal experiences as his self-exploration is turning out to be a learnin...
2023-12-1422 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 7: A Man's Perspective: Dating Apps, Social Media, Breaking Traditional Family Cycles - Part 1In today's show, Maria talks with John about what it’s like to use dating apps, social media's impact on people's expectations, and how double standards have challenged roles and authenticity. The conversation opens up questions about John's experiences of breaking family expectations when families had more influence or control over the dating process. John pursued relationships independently and took hold of his life working through unforeseen challenges that arose during the episode.
2023-11-2929 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 6: Aspects of Borderline Personality Disorder, Part 2: Men, women, children, and misdiagnoses in menIn today's show, Maria picks up from Episode 5 and provides a breakdown comparison discussion on the often overlooked aspects of borderline personality disorder, specifically in men and women, highlighting the differences in their experiences and the challenges they face. She also emphasizes the misdiagnosis issue, particularly how it can disproportionately affect men and lead to serious consequences such as incarceration. Furthermore, she delves into the crucial topic of children growing up in households affected by borderline personality traits and how these experiences can shape their lives well into adulthood.These conversations are significant in raising awareness, offering...
2023-11-2217 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 5: Toxic People Versus Toxic Behaviors: Are We All Toxic? - Part 1Maria will be diving into the topic of toxic people and unhealthy toxic behaviors in the dynamics of relationships. In her exploration of the "toxic person," she will raise critical points about the complexities and potential pitfalls associated with labeling individuals in this way.Furthermore, Maria will introduce the concept of borderline personality and engage listeners in exercises to recognize patterns in their lives; by encouraging self-reflection and awareness of recurring patterns, she aims to empower listeners to understand their own experiences better and potentially navigate challenging dynamics more effectively.
2023-11-1519 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 4: Breaking the Mold, Finding Authenticity, and Addressing Mental AbuseIn a heartfelt conversation, Diana and Lena delve into the intricate dynamics of traditional gender roles and the relentless pursuit of authenticity. As they reflect on their journeys, both women share the pivotal moments when they realized these roles didn't define them and that there was more to their identities than society had prescribed. They share their stories of grappling with expectations, the ongoing challenge of breaking free from unhealthy behaviors, and the quest to balance their authentic selves with the responsibilities of creating a nurturing and open environment for their children while confronting the expectations that still exist...
2023-11-0827 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 3: Roles and Expectations: Diana and Lena Unravel the LayersDiana and Lena talk about how past and present roles and expectations have played out in their lives. They also discuss the ability of individuals to evolve sooner rather than later, which was misunderstood because most people did not, and those who had this ability were often shunned. Something as innocent as having an opinion was deemed disrespectful and frowned upon. The women pondered over thoughts about the challenges of unhealthy behavior and whether it should be excused.
2023-11-0118 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 2: Growing up Albanian in AmericaMaria speaks with Diana and Leana about what it was like growing up as 1st generation Albanian in America.Maria opens the discussion with the women and invites them to go back in time and share their experiences of their family's challenges assimilating to the American culture and trying to adapt to a very different culture. The women also talk about their own challenges of the traditions their families maintained and expected of them while these women themselves were trying to assimilate into the American culture.
2023-10-2423 minBreaking Cycles with MariaEP 1: I am ready to learn about myself and those around me.Welcome to the first episode of Breaking Up with Toxicity. Maria talks about the podcast goals and how we will learn about the layers and roles that make you who you are and, at times, learn to understand those around you. We will begin to explore how and what diagnoses are about to work through life changes and stop the continuation of an unhealthy self. Let's start and create a new you by creating a new healthy you. If you’d like a topic or question explored, email at info.mariashkreli.com.
2023-10-1914 minBreaking Cycles with MariaWelcome to Breaking Up With ToxicityHi everyone! My name is Maria Shkreli, and I am a licensed mental health therapist and author. I specialize in personality disorders and other various diagnoses. I'm excited for you to join me each week as we break down who you are and challenge whatever you feel you may need to work on. Be sure to listen to Breaking Up With Toxicity when it premieres on October 17, and don't forget to subscribe so you can be ready to join us as we navigate this life. This account is run by a licensed clinician and is...
2023-09-1902 min
The Worst Week Yet39. The Worst Week Yet Dies Of The Florida Variant (Featuring Rax King)This Week, Andrew and Maria were joined by Rax King to discuss whether or not THIS was The Worst Week Yet. Topics include: America losing gold in the Pizza Hut olympics, Simone Biles sparks a conversation about mental health, It’s Eviction Time!, Nancy Pelosi is awful, Robert Kraft gets off, ScarJo sues Mickey Mouse, Martin Shkreli’s Wu-Tang album gets sold at auction, and we end with a bunch of Covid updates. Remember Covid?
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https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669783/tacky-by-rax-king/9780593312728?ref=PRHC37E683FBB&aid=31016&linkid=PRHC37E683FBB
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2021-08-021h 39
The Worst Week Yet05. The Worst Week Yet Starts A NSFW Family Circus Fan Fiction (featuring Dan Davin)This week, Andrew and Maria welcome Dan Davin to talk about why THIS was the worst week yet. Topics include: Cancel Culture in Austria, Martin Shkreli, Conservatives accidentally making socialist points, Amazon’s use of Pinkertons, the futility of individuals fighting back against giant corporations, Covid’s thanksgiving party, unconventional stuffing ingredients, ever-failing democratic leadership, Small business owners’ misplaced aggression, anti-socialists on social security, defunding the police, and we give a rundown on Biden’s cabinet picks.
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Follow Dan: @Dennypee...
2020-11-301h 33