What happens when emotional survival becomes a lifelong habit?

In Episode #82 of An Evolving Man, Piers Cross speaks with Person Irresponsible, author of Inappropriate Behaviour, about her journey through girls’ boarding school trauma, mental health struggles, and addiction recovery.

Like many third culture children, she grew up moving between countries and cultures, finding stability only in the rigid routines of boarding school — a place that promised safety but demanded emotional self-suppression.

She describes how separation from home and family led to a deep disconnection from her feelings, and how that emotional freezing later expressed itself as depression, addiction, and self-criticism. Over time, this suppression became a pattern — one that shaped every aspect of adult life.

Through therapy, writing, and emotional integration, she began to reconnect with her body and emotions, learning that healing is not about erasing the past but reclaiming the parts of herself that had been exiled in childhood.

“You learn to cope by detaching,” she reflects. “But real freedom begins when you learn to feel again.”

The conversation between Piers Cross and Person Irresponsible invites a powerful reflection for anyone raised in environments that prized achievement over emotion.

It explores:

• How early emotional neglect shapes adult behaviour
• The link between perfectionism, addiction, and suppressed emotion
• Why awareness and compassion are the first steps to healing

Ultimately, this episode is not just about pain — it’s about integration.

It’s about learning to hold the parts of ourselves that were once silenced, and finding the courage to live from authenticity rather than adaptation.

If you were educated away from home, raised between cultures, or have ever felt the lingering echoes of emotional disconnection, this conversation offers both insight and hope.