54. Staying Broke Is Trauma Bonding — And They're Counting on You to Stay Small

About this episode

The episode discusses how staying broke can create trauma bonding and a false sense of connection among individuals facing financial struggles.

Staying broke is a form of trauma bonding. And the system is counting on you to stay there. I know that sounds harsh. But hear me out. There is COMFORT in staying broke. There is SAFETY in bonding over shared struggle. There is BELONGING in complaining about how expensive everything is. You're at the grocery store. You see the price of eggs. You turn to the stranger next to you and say, "Can you BELIEVE this?" And they agree. And for a moment, you're not alone. You're connected. You BELONG. That bonding? That instant connection over shared suffering? That's trauma bonding. And it's keeping you STUCK. In this raw, truth-telling episode, I break down: What trauma bonding actually is: Trauma bonding is when you bond with people over shared pain, shared struggle, or a shared enemy. And when you're broke, you have an instant shared enemy: the system, the economy, the government, rich people, corporations. That creates IMMEDIATE connection with other people who are also broke. You bond at the grocery store. At work. On Instagram. Over and over. And here's the science (I'm only saying this ONCE): When you bond with someone, your brain releases oxytocin (the bonding hormone) and dopamine…

People in this episode

Host: Lauren Trout

Topics covered

• trauma bonding
• financial struggle
• shared suffering
• community connection
• mental health

Keywords

• trauma bonding
• financial struggle
• community
• shared pain
• mental health
• oxytocin
• dopamine

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