"I Didn't Know What Unconditional Love Was": Tammy Vincent on Growing Up With Two Alcoholic Parents | Healing From Emotional Abuse

In this episode of Healing From Emotional Abuse, host Marissa F. Cohen sits down with Tammy Vincent, bestselling author, speaker, and coach, to talk about growing up as the adult child of two alcoholic parents and what that early chaos did to her sense of safety, love, and identity for decades afterward.

Tammy shares how she came to recognize complex PTSD in her own life, how dissociation became a survival tool she didn't even realize she was using, and what it was like to face a period of serious childhood harm with no way out. She also opens up about the moment she realized, at 26, that she didn't know what unconditional love was, and how that became the start of a decades long healing journey through Al-Anon, ACOA, therapy, and eventually coaching others through the same process.

This episode also covers the science behind generational trauma, including how trauma can physically shape the body and get passed down, and closes with Tammy's honest advice for anyone still in survival mode.

Content note: this conversation includes descriptions of childhood abuse and exploitation. Please take care while listening.

Connect with Tammy Vincent: www.tammyvincent.com

Learn more about Foundations of Healthy Relationships, a six week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships look like. Link in the show notes and on our Instagram community.

Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and podcast mission 00:03 Meet Tammy Vincent 00:03 Growing up with two alcoholic parents 00:05 A childhood custody battle 00:06 Recognizing complex PTSD 00:07 A period of serious harm and exploitation 00:08 Dissociation as a coping mechanism 00:09 Sponsor message: Foundations of Healthy Relationships 00:10 How childhood trauma shaped her adult relationships 00:11 Becoming a parent and facing old patterns 00:12 The science of generational trauma 00:15 A study on inherited fear responses 00:17 Finding support through Al-Anon and ACOA 00:19 Trying every healing modality 00:20 Sponsor message: Foundations of Healthy Relationships 00:21 Mindfulness, letting go, and moving forward 00:22 Advice for survivors 00:23 Tammy's book and how to work with her 00:24 Closing thoughts

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services. For confidential support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233.

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