The Genius Life 516: The 3 Trauma-Driven Behaviors That Push People Away | Anna Runkle
22 snips
Oct 13, 2025 
Anna Runkle, known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy, is a YouTube creator and trauma educator who helps others unlock healthier relationships. In a candid discussion, Anna reveals three trauma-driven behaviors—avoidance, lashing out, and accepting toxicity—that can harm connections. She distinguishes between PTSD and complex PTSD, shares effective re-regulation techniques, and emphasizes the power of somatic practices over traditional talk therapy. Anna also offers practical social skills to foster connectability and rebuild relationships, making this conversation both insightful and uplifting.
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Three Behaviors That Push People Away
- Trauma-driven behaviors often silently push people away through avoidance, lashing out, and letting toxic people in.
- These patterns are nervous-system responses, not moral failings, and erode relationships over time.
What Complex PTSD Does To Development
- Complex PTSD arises from chronic, repeated early-life stress and acts like a neurological injury to development.
- Neglect impairs mirror-neuron and self-regulation systems, making connection harder but not impossible to rebuild.
Trauma Storm And A Writing Rescue
- Anna described a trauma storm: a violent street assault, a breakup, and her mother's death that triggered full PTSD.
- She then discovered a written 12-step style practice that calmed her and ended her PTSD within weeks.
