About this episode

This episode discusses eldest daughter syndrome and its impact on firstborn daughters, including burnout and chronic illness.

Are you a firstborn daughter who's always switched on, always scanning for the next thing to fix, and secretly knackered underneath it all? This episode is for you.I'm Jen Wilson, The Healing Rebel, and today I'm talking about eldest daughter syndrome, nervous system dysregulation, and why so many of us firstborn daughters and born leaders end up in burnout more than once before we finally listen.I share my own experience of hitting a Crohn's disease flare in 2022 that became the wake-up call I couldn't ignore, plus research from the International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts on eldest daughter syndrome, and why Gabor Maté's work in The Myth of Normal and When the Body Says No keeps showing up in conversations about autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, and the personality types most likely to develop them.In this episode:What eldest daughter syndrome actually is (and why it's not in the DSM-5)Why firstborn daughters are wired to fix, help, and people-please from childhoodThe link between being "the responsible one" and burnout, anxiety, depression, and autoimmune conditionsWhy being fit isn't the same as being healthyHow to spot the signs you're running on high alert…

People in this episode

Host: Jen Wilson

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts

Books & works: The Myth of Normal, When the Body Says No

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the I AM | Jen WIlson, The Healing Rebel podcast page.