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Quiet Confessions, Episode 7: Why I Can't Watch Friends Anymore
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In this week's Quiet Confessions mini-episode, Chelsea opens up about a seemingly small but deeply powerful memory: the night Friends reruns helped them survive the aftermath of a traumatic postpartum experience. What began as a comforting background show morphed into a ritual, and eventually a trigger.
Chelsea explores the complicated way trauma can imprint on the ordinary, from sitcoms to songs, and how those once-safe things can become tangled in survival. It’s raw, reflective, real, and, as always, a reminder that you are not alone if the “little things” hurt like hell.
📌 Key Takeaways
- Trauma often imprints itself on the mundane—TV shows, songs, smells—and can turn comfort into distress.
- Rituals created in survival mode can bring temporary relief but may carry long-term emotional weight.
- It's okay to outgrow things that once made us feel safe, especially when they become emotionally triggering.
- The grief over losing access to a comfort item is real and valid.
- Healing includes honoring past versions of ourselves, even if they feel far away or painful to remember.
- Shared cultural moments, like 9/11 or popular shows, can hold deeply personal meanings.
- There’s no shame in setting boundaries around media that hurts, no matter how harmless it seems to others.
🔊 Soundbites
- “It wasn’t about enjoying the show—it was about surviving the night.”
- “Friends became a ritual. A numbing one. And I still didn’t feel safe.”
- “My nervous system remembers. Not just the show, but the fear, the disconnection, the panic.”
- “I can’t watch Friends anymore—and that’s okay.”
- “When a piece of pop culture becomes part of your trauma story, it’s confusing. And it’s lonely.”
- “If you have a trigger that seems really mundane—it’s not. You’re not alone.”
- “This is your permission to stop watching something, stop listening to something, stop eating something that hurts.”
This episode discusses topics that may be triggering for some individuals. Please check the show notes for more information and be mindful of your own mental health and comfort levels.
Real moms. Real talk. Zero sugarcoating.
Join Odd Moms On Call as we tackle parenting in a world on fire—one hot take, eye roll, and belly laugh at a time.
Special Thanks to Steve Audy for the use of our theme song: Quiet Connection
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