boy meets therapy Emotional Starvation: Why You Keep Accepting the Bare Minimum
Why do we keep accepting less than we need and calling it love?
In this solo episode, host Dustin explores the psychology of emotional starvation: the pattern of confusing scarcity with care. Through the lenses of attachment theory, intermittent reinforcement, and trauma research, he unpacks how early experiences of inconsistent affection can shape what we tolerate in adulthood.
Dustin explains why the nervous system learns to find comfort in unpredictability, how emotional neglect rewires our sense of worth, and what it takes to rebuild trust in consistent love.
If you have ever wondered why the bare minimum feels like enough, or why stability can feel unfamiliar, this episode offers reflection, compassion, and a path back to emotional nourishment.
Listen to learn how to stop mistaking crumbs for care and start recognizing what real connection feels like.
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Created and Produced by Dustin Oliver