When Support Turns Toxic: Navigating Adult Bullying and Friendship Loss with Dr. Noelle Santorelli

In this episode, I sit down again with clinical psychologist Dr. Noelle Santorelli for a conversation that feels especially important. We talk about adult bullying, relational aggression, and the deep grief that can come from losing friendships and a sense of belonging, particularly within mom groups and close communities. This episode is rooted in mental health and grief, because these losses change how safe the world feels and how we see ourselves. I share openly about why I started this podcast. A devastating friend breakup in 2020 collided with unresolved childhood trauma and brought me to one of the lowest points of my life. What began as subtle exclusion slowly became isolation and public humiliation, leaving me without a community I believed was safe. The shame, loneliness, and grief that followed were overwhelming, especially during COVID, and that loss carried a weight I did not expect. Dr. Santorelli explains why these group dynamics are so harmful and why it is never as simple as just leaving. When kids are involved, fear, guilt, and judgment keep women stuck far longer than they should be. We talk about betrayal trauma, victim blaming, and the cycle many toxic groups follow, and why reacting after months of pressure does not make someone the problem. It makes them human. This episode is about trusting your experience, listening to your body, and choosing self preservation over fixing the narrative. Sometimes healing looks like quiet distance and protecting your energy. If you have ever felt pushed out, shamed, or silenced by people you hoped would support you, this conversation is for you. You can follow Dr. Noelle Santorelli here: https://www.instagram.com/drnoellesantorelli/ This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #grief #mentalhealth #friendshiploss #adultbullying #relationaltrauma #betrayaltrauma #toxicfriendships #toxicmomgroups #womensmentalhealth #emotionalabuse #socialexclusion #shameandhealing #traumarecovery #boundaries #selfpreservation #healingafterloss #belonging #identityandloss #nervoussystem #emotionalsafety #friendbreakups #communitytrauma #motherhoodandmentalhealth #choosingyourself #psychologicalsafety Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices