What do you do when the person hurting you is your own child—and you love them more than anything?

In this deeply personal and trauma-informed episode, Afshan Tafler shares her story of parenting a hypersensitive, high-needs, PDA child whose violent outbursts left her terrified, exhausted, and full of shame. From calling 911 to navigating complex PTSD and nervous system collapse, she unpacks the raw truth many parents are afraid to admit:

Sometimes it feels like abuse. And your body doesn’t lie.

This episode explores:

• Why your nervous system interprets your child’s violence as threat

• What trauma from your own child does to your brain, body, and beliefs

• How to reclaim safety, agency, and meaning—even in the chaos

• Research that validates your experience

• A soul-level perspective that may help you feel less alone

Whether you’re in the thick of it or still healing from what you’ve lived through, this is a powerful, compassionate reminder:

You are not broken. You are not failing. You are not alone.

And there is a way to feel whole again.

👉 Read the full blog article on my website: https://www.illuminateu.ca/blog/when-it-feels-like-abuse-making-sense-of-violence-control-and-trauma-in-parenting-a-high-needs-child

📘 Get my free eBook + video series: 7 Steps to Regulated & Resilient Parenting with Your Hypersensitive, High Needs Child Download it here: https://www.illuminateu.ca/regulated-and-resilient-parenting

🎧 Listen now and feel seen, understood, and empowered.

#nervoussystem #highneedschild #pdaautism #parentingtrauma #traumainformedparenting #afshantafler