Today we’re talking about anxiety and depression, not as mere symptoms that need to be treated, but as parts of us showing up for a certain reason. Let’s ask ourselves - why are we anxious, why are we depressed, why are those parts showing up? What You Will Learn In This Episode: Looking at anxiety and depression as trauma responses within our body Deb Dana's ladder analogy in the context of narcissistic relationships The role of anxiety as the sympathetic trauma response  The role of depression in our system state How to look at anxiety and depression as parts of ourselves and not identify with them The reason why people stay in abusive relationships How to understand the intentions of all our parts and welcome them to our system Once we see anxiety and depression as parts of us reacting to trauma, we will realise that we are not a depressed or anxious individual, but we have parts that are showing up in order to distract us and soothe us from feeling the pain of our younger, wounded part.    Resources: Join my Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse  Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/