Messages From the Middle | Mental Health, Anxiety, Depression, Late Diagnosed ADHD, Undiagnosed Trauma, Neurodivergence, PTSD

Wendy Parrish
  • 5.0 (32)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Have you been asking yourself; “Why do I feel like this?” The anxiety, the exhaustion, the heaviness you can’t explain—all of it leaves you searching for answers you’re not even sure how to articulate. You want relief, guidance, and a way forward, but you don’t yet have the right questions, let alone the solutions. I know that place intimately, because I’m not speaking from the top of the mountain looking back. I’m Wendy Parrish, and I’m still in the middle of my story. From here—right in the thick of the confusion, healing, setbacks, and growth—I’ve learned how to name what’s happening, navigate the messiness, and build tools that actually help. And I want to bring you into that process, not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone walking it with you.

  1. 18H AGO

    From Breaking to Healing: Four Years Later

    What happens after everything falls apart—and how do you slowly find your way back? Four years ago, I walked through the hardest season of my life. In 2022, after years of holding things together through stress, isolation, and the quiet weight of struggling mental health, everything finally fell apart. I found myself withdrawing from the world, barely functioning, and eventually leaving home for two months to enter a residential treatment program. In this special 100th episode, I’m looking back on that year and sharing honestly about what the last four years of healing have really looked like. Recovery didn’t happen quickly, and it definitely wasn’t a straight line. In this episode I talk about the tools, treatments, and lessons that helped me find my way forward—therapy, community, TMS, learning about hormones and ADHD, and the surprising role faith played in keeping me afloat. Most of all, I share what I’ve learned about the messy, imperfect process of healing. If you’re in a hard season yourself, this episode is a reminder that even when progress feels slow or uncertain, change and hope are still possible.

    22 min

  2. MAR 6

    Meditation and ADHD: How Meditation Can Help With Your Overall Wellbeing

    In this episode, I share a powerful experience I had meditating with Buddhist monks in Chiang Mai, Thailand. That time sitting quietly in a temple halfway across the world taught me something simple but profound about the way our minds work. I talk about meditation through the lens of ADHD—the wandering mind, the endless stream of thoughts, and the feeling that we’re “bad” at focusing. But meditation isn’t about having a perfectly quiet mind. It’s about the practice of noticing when our thoughts chase squirrels and gently bringing them back. Every time we do that, we’re actually strengthening the part of the brain responsible for focus, emotional regulation, and decision-making. In other words, the wandering mind isn’t failure—it’s the training. I also share a meditation instruction I read in a temple that taught me so much: breathing in, holding the breath for a moment, softening the eyes and the mind, and then expanding your awareness outward with compassion for all living things. Breath holds can briefly increase carbon dioxide levels in the body, which can sharpen awareness and help calm the nervous system when practiced gently. Combined with widening our attention and intentionally sending out love and compassion, this practice can create a surprising shift in mood and resilience. In this episode, I reflect on how simple moments of mindfulness—whether in a temple in Thailand or in the middle of an ordinary day—can help us train our minds, build focus, and reconnect with a sense of calm and compassion. 🧘‍♀️✨

    19 min

  3. FEB 27

    RSD in the Wild: How RSD Show Up in Real Life

    What do Gilmore Girls and my kindergarten meltdown over a happy face stamp have in common? I am glad you asked. Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) From a kindergarten meltdown over not earning a double smiley-face stamp to the emotional landmines of high school and adulthood, I share personal anecdotes about how RSD has shaped my life. I discuss how RSD affects creativity, relationships, and even the way we interpret simple texts like “Call me.” This episode is for anyone trying to understand themselves or their loved ones who may experience heightened sensitivity to rejection and failure. Tune in for insights, empathy, and a reminder that our unique traits—nerfs and buffs alike—can serve as both challenges and strengths.

    24 min

  4. FEB 20

    Mindfullness for Busy Minds: How Mindfulness Helps With ADHD

    In this episode titled "Mindfulness for a Busy Mind," I delve into the fascinating world of managing ADHD through mindfulness and meditation. One of the fun things that comes with ADHD is a busy mind, and I mean fun—like I'm never bored; my mind is always entertaining me. But this constant whirlwind of thoughts can be inconvenient when it comes to quieting intrusive and worrisome thoughts. The good news is, there's something that can be done with a busy mind. You can learn how to train your brain, take control of those intrusive thoughts, and that's where mindfulness comes in. I share my personal experience, emphasizing the joy and challenges of a constantly active mind. Through simple yet profound practices, I explain how listeners can train their brains to be intentional about their thoughts and actions, ultimately leading to improved concentration, reduced stress, and enhanced self-esteem. I break down the essence of mindfulness, debunking misconceptions and providing practical tips for incorporating meditation into daily life. Whether you're navigating the whirlwind of ADHD or simply seeking a deeper connection with the present moment, this episode serves as a gentle yet powerful reminder of the transformative potential of mindfulness.

    22 min

  5. FEB 13

    Why Boundries Matter and Why the Most Loving People Are the Most Boundried

    In this episode, I’m talking about boundaries—the kind that don’t come from frustration, control, or emotional shutdown, but from love. I share why real boundaries aren’t a list of rules for other people to follow so we can feel okay. They’re about what we will do, what we will allow, and how we take responsibility for our own emotional well-being. When boundaries are rooted in love instead of fear, they protect connection instead of damaging it. I also explore the idea of thinking of yourself as a sovereign country. You have resources—time, energy, attention, care—and it’s your job to steward them wisely. Healthy relationships require both sharing and protecting those resources. Without clear boundaries, resentment quietly builds and erodes even our most important connections. This episode is an invitation to honor your limits, preserve your energy, and create relationships that feel mutual, respectful, and sustainable.

    15 min

  6. FEB 6

    Feeling stuck? How the Brain Keeps You There-and How to Get Unstuck

    Feeling stuck is one of the most common experiences in mental health—and one of the hardest to explain. In this episode, we explore what it really means to feel stuck, numb, or frozen, and why those feelings often show up when our nervous system is overwhelmed. Through the lens of the motivational triad—our brain’s drive to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy—we unpack how staying stuck can actually be a form of protection, even when it’s costing us peace, connection, and growth. We also talk about power—where we give it away, how victim thinking can quietly keep us trapped, and why the idea that we can only change ourselves is actually very good news. This episode offers compassionate insight, practical reframes, and gentle encouragement to take your power back, set boundaries, and make small, meaningful shifts that help you move forward. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by relationships, the state of the world, or your own inner landscape, this conversation is an invitation to step out of stuck and into agency—one choice at a time.

    12 min

  7. JAN 30

    When Empathy Hurts: From Emotional Overload to Compassion

    Lately, it feels like everything is too much—too much information, too much suffering, too much emotional weight to carry. In this episode, I talk honestly about what happens when empathy turns into emotional overload, burnout, or numbness. As someone whose top strength is empathy, I explore how constantly absorbing the pain of others—especially in a world fueled by social media and 24-hour news—can quietly erode our mental health. We’ll talk about toxic empathy, why our nervous systems weren’t designed to hold the weight of the world, and how “conceal, don’t feel” can become a survival strategy that ultimately disconnects us from ourselves. This episode is about finding a healthier, more sustainable way to care. I introduce compassion as the antidote to hyper-empathy—empathy with boundaries, empathy with action, empathy with boots on. We’ll explore the difference between empathy and compassion, why numbness and over-feeling are two sides of the same coin, and how small practices like loving-kindness meditation can help us stay open without burning out. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or unsure how to care deeply without losing yourself, this conversation is for you. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram @wendyparrishcoachin

    21 min

  8. JAN 23

    The Modivational Triad: How Knowing About it Can Help With Feeling Stuck and Overwhelmed

    In this episode, I’m talking openly about how I’ve been feeling lately—overwhelmed, stuck, and quietly sad about the state of the world. I share how those feelings slowly turned into an excuse in my mind, not just for stepping back from the podcast, but from a lot of things that matter to me. Instead of a polished outline or plan, I did the thing I’ve been avoiding: I plugged in the mic and pressed record. This episode is raw, unscripted, and real, because waiting until I felt “ready” was just another way I was talking myself out of showing up. I also dive into the concept of the motivational triad—the subconscious drive to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy—and how overwhelm, hopelessness, and feeling stuck can quietly serve that triad. Making decisions takes energy, taking risks feels uncomfortable, and doing hard things requires us to move through pain instead of around it. In this conversation, I explore how our minds use very believable reasons to keep us safe and small, and why recognizing those patterns can be the first step toward choosing action anyway, even when it feels messy, imperfect, or heavy. contact me:  email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagra: @wendyparrishcoachin

    20 min
See All (100)

5
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

Have you been asking yourself; “Why do I feel like this?” The anxiety, the exhaustion, the heaviness you can’t explain—all of it leaves you searching for answers you’re not even sure how to articulate. You want relief, guidance, and a way forward, but you don’t yet have the right questions, let alone the solutions. I know that place intimately, because I’m not speaking from the top of the mountain looking back. I’m Wendy Parrish, and I’m still in the middle of my story. From here—right in the thick of the confusion, healing, setbacks, and growth—I’ve learned how to name what’s happening, navigate the messiness, and build tools that actually help. And I want to bring you into that process, not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone walking it with you.

Information

You Might Also Like