Coping With Ghosting

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When Chaos Feels Like Home: Healing From High-Conflict Family Cycles with Dr. Tracy Hutchinson
Episode 96
Sunday, 29 March, 2026

Do you ever feel like you’re waiting for the "other shoe to drop," even when things are going well? If you grew up in a high-conflict environment, your nervous system may have been wired to view chaos as "home."In this episode, host Gretta welcomes trauma therapist and author Dr. Tracy Hutchinson to explore the deep-seated impact of being raised in unpredictable, high-stress family systems. The habits we formed to survive these environments often follow us into adulthood, showing up as anxiety, self-blame, and a pattern of choosing unstable relationships. In this episode, we cover the following:How to know if you have high-conflict family members.Why over-apologizing, "people-pleasing," and fawn responses can show up as a result of trauma.Understanding how unhealthy family patterns affect adult professional and romantic lives.Cognitive dissonance: what it is and how to detect it.How ghosting and estrangement are different, when estrangement may be necessary, and when to repair a relationship.How to heal & make meaning.Dr. Tracy Hutchinson is a psychotherapist, professor, and author specializing in recovery from sociopathic abuse, narcissistic abuse, and family trauma. Her latest book, Adult Children of High-Conflict Parents: Find Freedom from Your Past, Heal the Pain of Toxic Relational Trauma, and Cultivate Lasting Self-Love, is a roadmap for anyone looking to heal. Connect with Dr. Tracy Hutchinson:Website | Facebook | Get the BookConnect with Gretta:Free Guide: What to Say To A GhostFree and Private Facebook Support Group | Instagram | copingwithghosting.comHost Gretta Perlmutter, a Certified Post Betrayal Transformation® Coach, delivers evidence-based strategies to turn personal betrayal into a powerful catalyst for growth and healing.Music: "Ghosted" by Gustavo ZaiahDisclaimer: This information is designed to mentor and guide you to cope with Ghosting by cultivating a positive mindset and implementing self-care practices. It is for educational purposes only; it solely provides self-help tools for your use. Coping With Ghosting is not providing health care or psychological therapy services and is not diagnosing or treating any physical or mental ailment of the mind or body. The content is not a substitute for therapy or any advice given by a licensed psychologist or other licensed or other registered professionals.Support the showNote to All Listeners: Ghosting is defined as: The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication (Oxford Languages). When you leave an abusive situation without saying "goodbye," it's not ghosting, it's "self-protection." When you quietly exit a relationship after a boundary has been violated, it's not ghosting, it's "self-respect."