In this unflinching episode, I dive into the tangled roots of my marriage, built not on love but on the absence of it—a pattern I mistook for familiarity. Growing up, I learned love through trauma, shaped by my mother’s harsh discipline, including the day she hit me in the eye with a broomstick, leaving me legally blind for years. I hid the truth behind a dog-bite story, carrying that silence into adulthood. That same familiarity drew me to a husband whose behavior echoed my past, a realization my therapist crystallized with the words: “Your mother was the root; your husband is the tree.” I unpack how this cycle of disappearing acts, control, and pain became my norm, and how I’m breaking free for myself and my kids. Healing isn’t linear, and neither is this journey—I don’t know where it starts or ends, but I’m speaking out. For anyone stuck in relationships that feel like survival, afraid to leave or even imagine happiness, this is for you. I’m exploding with truth, talking to you, and talking to me too, as I reclaim my voice.

Hey, it’s Danielle To You from I’m Talkin to You, I’m Talkin to Me Too! I’m so excited to hear from y’all with our new fan mail! No names needed, just your truth. My stories are heavy with pain but bright with possibility. What episode moved you or changed your view? Tell me how it felt