It’s All Your Fault: High Conflict People
TruStory FM
Hosted by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. and Megan Hunter, MBA, It’s All Your Fault! High Conflict People explores the five types of people who can ruin your life—people with high conflict personalities and how they weave themselves into our lives in romance, at work, next door, at school, places of worship, and just about everywhere, causing chaos, exhaustion, and dread for everyone else.
They are the most difficult of difficult people — some would say they’re toxic. Without them, tv shows, movies, and the news would be boring, but who wants to live that way in your own life!
Have you ever wanted to know what drives them to act this way?
In the It’s All Your Fault podcast, we’ll take you behind the scenes to understand what’s happening in the brain and illuminates why we pick HCPs as life partners, why we hire them, and how we can handle interactions and relationships with them. We break down everything you ever wanted to know about people with the 5 high conflict personality types: narcissistic, borderline, histrionic, antisocial/sociopath, and paranoid.
And we’ll give you tips on how to spot them and how to deal with them.
They are the most difficult of difficult people — some would say they’re toxic. Without them, tv shows, movies, and the news would be boring, but who wants to live that way in your own life!
Have you ever wanted to know what drives them to act this way?
In the It’s All Your Fault podcast, we’ll take you behind the scenes to understand what’s happening in the brain and illuminates why we pick HCPs as life partners, why we hire them, and how we can handle interactions and relationships with them. We break down everything you ever wanted to know about people with the 5 high conflict personality types: narcissistic, borderline, histrionic, antisocial/sociopath, and paranoid.
And we’ll give you tips on how to spot them and how to deal with them.
Episodes
Mentioned books
14 snips
Sep 10, 2026 • 37min
Worth Repeating: Protecting Your Job When Home Life Turns High Conflict
High-conflict home life can follow you straight into the workplace, disrupting focus, confidence, and emotional control. The discussion explores the brain’s stress response, encouraging statements as a psychological shield, and ways to keep crisis texts from hijacking the day. It also covers BIFF communication and how to discuss personal challenges with an employer without creating new problems.
12 snips
Aug 27, 2026 • 39min
Worth Repeating: Why Some People Go Zero to Sixty with Anger (And Others Don't)
They explore why some people flip from calm to furious in seconds while others stay steady. Research shows venting and hard exercise often fail to reduce anger. Calming techniques like breathing and connection work better. Different personality types and childhood regulation shape how rage looks. Practical de-escalation tactics and therapies that build self-control are highlighted.
Aug 13, 2026 • 45min
Worth Repeating: A Retired Judge's Playbook for Family Court Success
Judge Bruce R. Cohen, a retired family court judge with decades as an attorney and nearly 20 years on the bench, offers a candid look at courtroom realities. He discusses how judges assess a child’s best interests. He explains why presence, empathy, and demonstrating ability to meet children’s needs matter. He also covers simplifying your case and recognizing high conflict dynamics.
Jul 30, 2026 • 32min
Worth Repeating: Parental Alienation, False Abuse Claims, and When to Stop Fighting in Family Court
Listeners ask about parental alienation versus realistic estrangement and the tricky line between them. They tackle false abuse claims, how courts can get it wrong, and why evidence and transcripts matter. The conversation also covers legal limits on stopping endless court battles and a practical two-year rule for when to pivot.
Jul 2, 2026 • 34min
From Case-by-Case to Conflict-Smart: High Conflict at Work, Part 4 of 4
Michael Lomax, mediator, lawyer, and High Conflict Institute trainer from British Columbia. He discusses how high-conflict behavior spreads through teams and exhausts leaders. They cover building policies, training everyone in core conflict skills, role-modeling by senior leaders, and measuring the hidden financial costs of unresolved conflict.
Jun 25, 2026 • 41min
From Reacting to Responding: High Conflict at Work, Part 3 of 4
Michael Lomax, lawyer, mediator, and HCI trainer, offers practical workplace conflict management guidance. The conversation covers BIFF replies for hostile messages. They walk through the CARS framework for de-escalation and how to adapt it when the manager is the problem. Coaching as an alternative to suspension is also explored.
Jun 18, 2026 • 38min
What HR Keeps Missing: High Conflict at Work, Part 2 of 4
Michael Lomax, workplace conflict resolution practitioner and attorney with ~25 years’ experience, breaks down how to spot high-conflict patterns early. He discusses the WEB method (Words, Emotions, Behavior). Short, practical takes cover early warning signs, why incident-only responses fail, and how organizations can measure impact rather than just enforce rules.
Jun 11, 2026 • 35min
Why Workplace Conflict Is Surging: High Conflict at Work, Part 1 of 4
Michael Lomax, lawyer and mediator with the High Conflict Institute, brings workplace-focused conflict expertise. He discusses why workplace conflict is surging now. He covers trends like generational shifts, social media polarization, organizational design, boundary violations by high conflict people, and building conflict-ready leaders and systems.
Jun 4, 2026 • 28min
Accepting the Limits of a High Conflict Relationship
Grieving the relationship you hoped for when someone cannot offer empathy or accountability. Applying the five stages of grief to chronic conflict. Choosing between limited contact and no contact and practical steps for visits. Why emotional conversations often backfire with high-conflict people. Using brief self-affirmations to resist guilt and shame while protecting your well-being.
May 28, 2026 • 33min
How to Leave a High Conflict Relationship Without Escalating
A discussion about why fear of retaliation traps people in dangerous relationships. Stories and patterns of escalating revenge, including a notorious murder case. Practical steps for a safer, stepwise exit and common mistakes that escalate conflict. How to document behavior and prepare for false allegations before leaving.
