41. Too Opinionated to Be Liked - When You Have Strong Opinions and Rejection Sensitivity

41. Too Opinionated to Be Liked - When You Have Strong Opinions and Rejection Sensitivity

Ever felt like you're too opinionated to be liked? Like the moment you share an actual opinion, you're already replaying it in your head wondering if you've ruined something? Yeah. Us too. In this episode of Too Much Apparently, we (Carly and Alice - two therapists and recovering perfectionists with squishy brains) get real about what it's like to be someone with strong views AND a nervous system that takes rejection like a full-body event. The double bind of caring enough to have opinions, and caring enough to be devastated when those opinions aren't received well. We unpack our own resistance, spiral in real-time, and share what it's like to want to be honest while also being scared it might be too much, too intense, too political, too feminist, too angry. This time we talked about: * 🎙️ We've felt this thing too: burning opinions stuck in your throat, the 3-day spiral after speaking up, the car ride home rehearsing what you should have said instead * 👀 What it looks like in real life: biting your tongue at family dinners, drafting messages you never send, going quiet at work and feeling like a fraud, crying in the car after a dinner party * 🧠 Why our brains do it: rejection sensitivity, how women get called "opinionated" when men get called "passionate," and the way new rejections hook back into old ones * 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏻 The different ways it shows up: the impulsive blurter, the 300-years-of-thinking-then-saying-it person, the one who's gone so quiet she's lost track of what she thinks * 🧰 Coping mechanisms: choosing your rooms, finding people who can hold complexity, checking in with people afterwards instead of catastrophising on your own * 🌱 How to make peace with it: your opinions aren't the problem - the rooms you've been sharing them in might be Thanks for listening            💛💜🩷🩵🧡 💬 New episodes every Monday. 🎧 Follow now to join the conversation. 🧡 CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ Podcast socials: → Instagram: @toomuchapparently [https://www.instagram.com/toomuchapparently] → TikTok: @toomuchapparently [https://www.tiktok.com/@toomuchapparently?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] → YouTube: Too Much, Apparently [https://www.youtube.com/@toomuchapparently] → Website: http://www.toomuchapparently.com/www.toomuchapparently.com [http://www.toomuchapparently.com] → Substack: Too Much, Apparently [https://substack.com/@toomuchapparently] 👩‍💻 Carly Radford: → Website: www.carlyradford.com [http://www.carlyradford.com] → Instagram: @the_sensitivity_therapist [http://www.instagram.com/the_sensitivity_therapist] 👩🏻‍💻 Alice Tew: → Website: www.alicetew.com [http://www.alicetew.com] → Instagram: @reparentingwithalice [https://www.instagram.com/reparentingwithalice] 📩 Email us: toomuchapparently@gmail.com 🗓️ New episodes every Monday This is a podcast that says: bring your too-muchness… we’re here for it. Disclaimer: Just a quick note to say this podcast isn’t therapy, and it’s not a substitute for professional support. We’re here to share ideas and experiences, but if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a support service near you.

40. Too Complex to Function - Overthinking, Labels, AI & Why Understanding Yourself Isn’t Fixing It

Ever felt like you’re too complex to function like everyone else? Yeah. Us too. In this episode of Too Much Apparently, we (Carly and Alice — two therapists who know what it’s like to overthink yourself into a corner) get real about what happens when trying to understand yourself actually leaves you feeling more stuck, more broken, and further away from who you are. We talk about the endless loop of self-analysis — books, labels, diagnoses, AI, late-night Googling — and why more information doesn’t always bring clarity. Sometimes, it just creates more noise. This time we talked about: 🎙️ We’ve felt this thing too (and we still do): Hello 2am deep dives, collecting labels, over-analysing every thought, and still feeling like you don’t quite make sense. 👀 What it looks like in real life: Endless researching, asking AI for answers, replaying conversations, trying to “figure yourself out”, and feeling more confused the more you try. 🧠 Why our brains do it: Trauma, self-doubt, a need for certainty, and the belief that if you can just understand yourself enough, you’ll finally fix what feels wrong. 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏻 The different ways it shows up: Over-identifying with labels, feeling boxed in by diagnoses, relying on external answers, and losing connection with your own sense of self. 🧰 Coping mechanisms: Researching, intellectualising, using AI for reassurance, analysing your patterns, and trying to “solve” yourself. 🌱 How to make peace with it: Maybe the answer isn’t more understanding — maybe it’s learning to be with yourself without needing to fix anything. Thanks for listening            💛💜🩷🩵🧡 💬 New episodes every Monday. 🎧 Follow now to join the conversation. 🧡 CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ Podcast socials: → Instagram: @toomuchapparently [https://www.instagram.com/toomuchapparently] → TikTok: @toomuchapparently [https://www.tiktok.com/@toomuchapparently?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] → YouTube: Too Much, Apparently [https://www.youtube.com/@toomuchapparently] → Website: http://www.toomuchapparently.com/www.toomuchapparently.com [http://www.toomuchapparently.com] → Substack: Too Much, Apparently [https://substack.com/@toomuchapparently] 👩‍💻 Carly Radford: → Website: www.carlyradford.com [http://www.carlyradford.com] → Instagram: @the_sensitivity_therapist [http://www.instagram.com/the_sensitivity_therapist] 👩🏻‍💻 Alice Tew: → Website: www.alicetew.com [http://www.alicetew.com] → Instagram: @reparentingwithalice [https://www.instagram.com/reparentingwithalice] 📩 Email us: toomuchapparently@gmail.com 🗓️ New episodes every Monday This is a podcast that says: bring your too-muchness… we’re here for it. Disclaimer: Just a quick note to say this podcast isn’t therapy, and it’s not a substitute for professional support. We’re here to share ideas and experiences, but if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a support service near you. -------------------------------------------------------------------- sensitivity podcast, overthinking podcast, therapy podcast, mental health podcast, self discovery podcast, anxiety podcast, emotional podcast, neurodivergent podcast, trauma podcast, burnout podcast, Too Much Apparently podcast

39. Too Sensitive For This Body - Chronic Illness, Sensitive Nervous Systems and Fighting to be Believed

Ever felt like your body is too reactive, too unpredictable, too sensitive to just get on with life? Yeah. Us too. In this episode of Too Much Apparently, we (Carly and Alice — two therapists and recovering perfectionists with squishy brains) get real about what it's actually like to live in a sensitive body. The chronic illness nobody connects to your nervous system, the medical appointments that leave you feeling dismissed, and the exhausting gap between how you look and how you actually feel. We unpack our own experiences, spiral in real time, and talk honestly about what it's like to know something is wrong and not be believed. This time we talked about: 🎙️ We've felt this thing too (and we still do): Hello hanging your head out the car window because of someone's hairspray, breaking your foot by standing up, and spending years with back pain you never mentioned to a doctor because what's the point 👀 What it looks like in real life: sensory sensitivities, medication reactions, temperature changes, gut issues, fatigue that doesn't lift, and bodies that just respond to everything more 🧠 Why our brains do it: the nervous system doesn't live in your mind, it runs through your entire body, and a sensitive nervous system means a sensitive everything 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏻 The different ways it shows up: fibromyalgia, hypermobility, EDS, POTS, MCAS, chronic fatigue, ME/CFS, PCOS, PMDD, pain sensitivity, proprioception, and more conditions that cluster in neurodivergent and sensitive people than medicine likes to admit 🧰 Coping mechanisms: believing yourself first, advocating in appointments, pacing, spoon theory, working with your body instead of against it, and knowing when to push for more 🌱 How to make peace with it: your body isn't the problem, it's trying to communicate with you, and learning to respond with curiosity instead of criticism changes everything Thanks for listening 💛💜🩷🩵🧡 💬 New episodes every Monday. 🎧 Follow now to join the conversation. 🧡 CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ Podcast socials: → Instagram: @toomuchapparently [https://www.instagram.com/toomuchapparently] → TikTok: @toomuchapparently [https://www.tiktok.com/@toomuchapparently?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] → YouTube: Too Much, Apparently [https://www.youtube.com/@toomuchapparently] → Website: www.toomuchapparently.com [http://www.toomuchapparently.com/] 👩‍💻 Carly Radford: → Website: www.carlyradford.com [http://www.carlyradford.com] → Instagram: @the_sensitivity_therapist [http://www.instagram.com/the_sensitivity_therapist] 👩🏻‍💻 Alice Tew: → Website: www.alicetew.com [http://www.alicetew.com] → Instagram: @reparentingwithalice [https://www.instagram.com/reparentingwithalice] 📩 Email us: toomuchapparently@gmail.com 🗓️ New episodes every Monday This is a podcast that says: bring your too-muchness… we’re here for it. Disclaimer: Just a quick note to say this podcast isn’t therapy, and it’s not a substitute for professional support. We’re here to share ideas and experiences, but if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a support service near you.

38. Too Invalidated to Trust Myself - Chronic Invalidation, Self-Doubt and Learning to Trust Your Feelings Again

Ever felt like you’re too uncertain to trust your own feelings?Yeah. Us too. In this episode of Too Much Apparently, we (Carly and Alice — two therapists who know what it’s like to question everything you feel) get real about chronic invalidation — what happens when you’ve been told, directly or subtly, that your thoughts, feelings, and experiences aren’t quite right. We explore how that drip, drip, drip of being dismissed, corrected, or misunderstood can slowly erode your ability to trust yourself — and why so many sensitive and neurodivergent people end up over-analysing everything, checking with others, and wondering if they’re “allowed” to feel the way they do. This time we talked about: 🎙️ We’ve felt this thing too (and we still do): Hello second-guessing everything, asking “am I allowed to feel like this?”, and needing other people’s opinions to figure out your own. 👀 What it looks like in real life: Feeling confused in conversations, going into shutdown or overwhelm when you’re not understood, replaying interactions, and carrying a quiet sense of “maybe I’m wrong.” 🧠 Why our brains do it: Chronic invalidation, gaslighting-like experiences, trauma, and years of being told — in big and small ways — that your internal experience can’t be trusted. 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏻 The different ways it shows up: People-pleasing, over-analysing, withdrawing from relationships, struggling to speak up, or feeling disconnected from your own intuition and gut. 🧰 Coping mechanisms: Seeking reassurance, scanning for the “right” answer, suppressing emotions, or trying to override your feelings with logic. 🌱 How to make peace with it: You feel how you feel — and learning to trust yourself again starts with letting your experience be real. Thanks for listening      💛💜🩷🩵🧡 💬 New episodes every Monday. 🎧 Follow now to join the conversation. 🧡 CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ Podcast socials: → Instagram: @toomuchapparently [https://www.instagram.com/toomuchapparently] → TikTok: @toomuchapparently [https://www.tiktok.com/@toomuchapparently?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] → YouTube: Too Much, Apparently [https://www.youtube.com/@toomuchapparently] → Website: http://www.toomuchapparently.com/www.toomuchapparently.com [http://www.toomuchapparently.com] 👩‍💻 Carly Radford: → Website: www.carlyradford.com [http://www.carlyradford.com] → Instagram: @the_sensitivity_therapist [http://www.instagram.com/the_sensitivity_therapist] 👩🏻‍💻 Alice Tew: → Website: www.alicetew.com [http://www.alicetew.com] → Instagram: @reparentingwithalice [https://www.instagram.com/reparentingwithalice] 📩 Email us: toomuchapparently@gmail.com 🗓️ New episodes every Monday This is a podcast that says: bring your too-muchness… we’re here for it. Disclaimer: Just a quick note to say this podcast isn’t therapy, and it’s not a substitute for professional support. We’re here to share ideas and experiences, but if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a support service near you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sensitivity podcast, therapy podcast, mental health podcast, self doubt podcast, emotional validation, trauma podcast, neurodivergent podcast, overthinking podcast, trust yourself, gaslighting effects, Too Much Apparently podcast

37. Too Nostalgic to Let Go - Comfort Rewatches, Childhood Memories & Why Nostalgia is a Good Thing

Ever felt like you're too nostalgic to just let the past be the past? Yeah. Us too. In this episode of Too Much Apparently, we (Carly and Alice - two therapists and recovering perfectionists with squishy brains) get real about nostalgia - why some of us feel it so much more intensely than others, what it's actually doing for us, and why we think it deserves to be taken seriously rather than quietly grown out of. We unpack our own nostalgic soft spots, spiral into Postman Pat and Paramore in real time, and share what it's like to miss things that were complicated, long for feelings you can't quite get back, and wonder whether that makes you stuck or just someone who feels things fully. This time we talked about: * 🎙️ We've felt this thing too (and we still do): Hello classic Corrie for the mismatched mugs, Normal People on repeat, and being ambushed by a smell before you've even registered what it is * 👀 What it looks like in real life: rewatching the same shows during stressful weeks, songs that belong to specific chapters of your life, going back to places from childhood and feeling like you're stitching something back together * 🧠 Why our brains do it: sensitive and neurodivergent people don't just remember — they re-experience emotion through memory, which is why nostalgia hits harder and why that's actually the point * 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏻 The different ways it shows up: longing for a feeling rather than a time, feeling nostalgic for things that were complicated or imperfect, and the shame of admitting what still gets to you * 🧰 Coping mechanisms: using nostalgia deliberately rather than waiting for it to ambush you — the comfort rewatch, the playlist, the perfume, the food that takes you somewhere that feels like safety * 🌱 How to make peace with it: stop treating your nostalgia as a character flaw and start listening to what it's telling you about what you need right now Thanks for listening            💛💜🩷🩵🧡 Resources mentioned Nostalgia article [https://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/i-want-my-country-back-whats-in-phrase.html] 💬 New episodes every Monday. 🎧 Follow now to join the conversation. 🧡 CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ Podcast socials: → Instagram: @toomuchapparently [https://www.instagram.com/toomuchapparently] → TikTok: @toomuchapparently [https://www.tiktok.com/@toomuchapparently?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] → YouTube: Too Much, Apparently [https://www.youtube.com/@toomuchapparently] → Website: www.toomuchapparently.com [http://www.toomuchapparently.com/] 👩‍💻 Carly Radford: → Website: www.carlyradford.com [http://www.carlyradford.com] → Instagram: @the_sensitivity_therapist [http://www.instagram.com/the_sensitivity_therapist] 👩🏻‍💻 Alice Tew: → Website: www.alicetew.com [http://www.alicetew.com] → Instagram: @reparentingwithalice [https://www.instagram.com/reparentingwithalice] 📩 Email us: toomuchapparently@gmail.com 🗓️ New episodes every Monday This is a podcast that says: bring your too-muchness… we’re here for it. Disclaimer: Just a quick note to say this podcast isn’t therapy, and it’s not a substitute for professional support. We’re here to share ideas and experiences, but if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a support service near you.