Have you ever met someone who always seems to see themselves as the one who’s been wronged - or maybe noticed that pattern in yourself? The sense that life is happening to you, not for you? It might not just be negativity - it could be a victim mentality, a learned way of seeing the world that often begins as a form of protection.

In this episode, we take a look at the psychology behind the victim mindset - why it develops, how it impacts our relationships, and what it really takes to move from powerlessness to self-trust.

We explore:

• What exactly is the victim mentality?
• How trauma, learned helplessness, and chronic fear shape this mindset
• The overlap between victimhood and covert narcissism
• Why relationships with ‘perpetual victims’ can feel draining or triggering
• How to support someone without losing yourself
• When compassion becomes enabling, and when to let go

If you’ve ever struggled to understand why some people - or even parts of yourself - stay stuck in stories of unfairness or defeat, this episode is for you.

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Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re always told that gratitude is the route to happiness – that we should be grateful for every experience we have. But when life feels like it’s falling apart, gratitude can feel less like a comfort and more like pressure. In reality, gratitude and pain often have to coexist.

In this episode, we ask whether gratitude actually does make us happier - what it really is, how it rewires the brain, and why it sometimes feels impossible.

We explore:

• What makes gratitude so powerful
• The cognitive and neuroscientific mechanisms behind gratitude
• Toxic gratitude when life simply feels hard
• The gratitude paradox
• The guilt associated with not being grateful enough
• Some alternatives for when gratitude feels inaccessible

If you’ve ever struggled with the idea that you ‘should’ be thankful for the hard times in life, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds simple. Split the rent, share space, maybe finally stop packing an overnight bag. But living together is one of the biggest relationship transitions of our twenties, and it brings with it some very real psychological, emotional, and even social shifts.
In this episode, we unpack the questions around living with your partner in your 20s - what it means, what it changes, and what it reveals.

We explore:
• The pros and cons of moving in together
• Why living together can feel like forming a ‘chosen family’
• The pressure of societal and family expectations to hit the next milestone
• The hidden dynamics of cohabitation
• Why fairness, communication, and space matter more than perfection
• The five questions to ask yourself before you take the leap

Whether you’re moving in with your partner, thinking about it, or reflecting on a past experience, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.