Setting the Boundary Is Only Part One: What Most Cycle Breakers Miss

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges of setting boundaries with parents who have narcissistic or borderline personality disorders and the common pitfalls cycle breakers face.

You finally set the boundary and for about five seconds you felt proud of yourself. Then your parent pushed back and wished you could take it all back. When you have a parent with narcissistic or unmanaged borderline personality disorder, boundaries don't land the way you were taught they would. These types of parents are emotionally dysregulated, rely on you to manage their feelings, and read your boundary as a threat. It's why so many cycle breakers quietly decide boundaries jus...

People in this episode

Host: Torie Wiksell

Topics covered

• boundaries
• narcissistic parents
• borderline personality disorder
• cycle breakers
• emotional dysregulation

Keywords

• boundaries
• narcissism
• borderline personality disorder
• cycle breakers
• emotional management

More episodes of You're Not Crazy: A Podcast for the Adult Children of Parents with Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders

• Stop Explaining Your Boundary to Your Toxic Parent · June 9, 2026 · 14 min
• Gaslighting and Self-Doubt: Why You Can't Trust Yourself When You Were Raised by a Parent with Narcissistic or Borderline Personality Disorder · May 26, 2026 · 13 min
• Toxic In-Laws: What to Do When Your Partner Won't Stand Up to Their Family · May 19, 2026 · 18 min
• How to Cope With Mother's Day Hangover When You Have a Mom with Borderline or Narcissistic Traits · May 12, 2026 · 13 min
• Why "I'll Never Lose My Temper Again" Backfires When You're a Cycle Breaker Raised by a Parent with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder · May 5, 2026 · 16 min
• How to Survive Mother's Day When You Have a Mom with Borderline or Narcissistic Traits · April 28, 2026 · 23 min