back from the borderline cover art

back from the borderline

back from the borderline

By: mollie adler
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Summary


I don’t want to talk to your personality; I want to talk to your soul. Imagine if your most painful and debilitating mental health symptoms and self-sabotaging behaviors aren’t evidence of 'disorder' or 'dysfunction', but adaptive strategies that once kept you safe. My goal is to help you shift from asking ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?’


The word ‘borderline’ in this podcast has nothing to do with psychiatric labels. It has everything to do with coming back from the inner psychological brink we all experience.


Everyone has found themselves on the edge, in that liminal space where the old self falls apart and the new Self emerges. Here, we explore what it means to undergo true emotional alchemy: that ancient and primordial process of falling apart, confronting the underworld of our psyche, and falling back together into someone stronger, wiser, and more whole.


Many highly sensitive people who identify with the seemingly never-ending list of diagnostic mental health labels contained within ‘the bible of psychiatry’ (the DSM) share the same underlying sense of being irreparably broken, disconnected from their intuition, and paralyzed by life’s existential questions. I believe the resulting—and perfectly understandable—chronic feelings of emptiness and spiritual starvation are the TRUE causes of our current collective ‘mental health crisis.’


Together, we’ll dive into depth psychology, mythology, human consciousness, critical psychiatry, and the impact of trauma to help you begin the process of emotional alchemy. This exploration will help you get to the root cause of your suffering and free yourself from the toxic shame, limiting beliefs, and mental programming that have kept you locked in the chains of your past.


In an era where mental health and spirituality are too often commercialized, I’m not here as a guru with a quick fix to sell you. I don’t believe anyone is ever truly ‘healed’ or ‘cured.’ There is no return to some mythical state of pre-trauma purity, but rather a continuous spiral of unbecoming, unlearning, and transformation. As a fellow seeker, I will be there in your ear, walking alongside you on your path toward wholeness as a sort of parasocial big sister. That, I can promise.


By integrating the concepts we explore together, you’ll begin to see that anyone—even you—can come back from the borderline.


CRAVING MORE? Visit backfromtheborderline.com to dive into my universe, connect with me, access my Patreon, and discover more about my journey and work. Don’t forget to follow Back from the Borderline so new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays automatically drop into your podcast feed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

mollie adler Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Spirituality
Episodes
  • Stop Healing Your Inner Child and Shed Your Dead Trauma Skin

    Stop Healing Your Inner Child and Shed Your Dead Trauma Skin
    Apr 28 2026

    Many of us are realizing that what we’ve been calling “healing” might be the very thing keeping us from real growth and transformation.


    This episode is a case for letting your inner child die so that you can finally live. We’ll be dismantling some of the concepts around “inner child healing” pushed by modern pop psychology and look at the technical reality of the human spirit. Your history is a like a dead snakeskin, and the only way to the higher branches of the tree of life is to leave the empty husks behind.


    This is the end of the search for external authority. You are the location of the light. Read the maps left behind for you by the ancients , inhabit your true identity, and stop looking back at the shells you’ve already outgrown.


    Are you not holy, too? 🕊️


    WHAT WE EXPLORE:


    Holiness as Wholeness: Reclaiming the etymological root of the word "holy" (whole/hale/health) and exposing the "purity" narrative of modern religion as an institutional trap meant to keep you in spiritual debt.

    The Blackmail Economy: Why having absolutely nothing to hide makes you harder to control and sell to.

    The Chrysalis Theory of Healing: Why your "inner child" is an empty vessel on a lower branch of your tree of life, instead of a permanent resident in your psyche that you need to exert your precious energy negotiating with.

    Intergenerational Shedding: Breaking the cycles of intergenerational trauma by refusing to inhabit the un-shed skins of your own ancestors.


    Inquiry for MOODS (or your journal):


    I recommend taking these prompts to the Oriel or Noesis archetypes inside MOODS.


    1. The Root Inquiry: Identify one automatic reaction or "social mask" I use daily. How is this "leaf" currently blocking me from seeing my own light?
    2. The Transparency Check: Is there a part of my history I am still hiding in the basement out of fear? What would change in my life if I brought this into the light and made it impossible to use as blackmail against me?
    3. The Husk Meditation: Look at my current self-definitions, including my psychiatric labels or trauma stories. Are these the snake, or are they the skin? What happens if I stop trying to "heal" the skin and start inhabiting the life force that has already outgrown it.


    Resources Mentioned

    Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels

    The Gospel of the Beloved Companion: The Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jehanne de Quillan


    🜏 CONTINUE THE WORK: If you recognize yourself in something from this episode, don’t leave it unresolved. If you want more depth and the full archive: Join the BFTB Patreon → https://patreon.com/backfromtheborderline


    You’ll get:


    ☆ Weekly bonus episodes

    ☆ Archetypal tarot + astrology forecasts

    ☆ Full ad-free archive access


    If you want to actually work through it: Use MOODS → https://app.moods.world/


    MOODS is a private place to take what’s coming up and see it clearly without performing it or involving anyone else. You can try both MOODS and Patreon free for 7 days to see if they’re right for you. If you join Patreon first: You’ll also unlock discounted access to MOODS. See you inside.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • The missing piece of your soul and the lost technology of Mary Magdalene

    The missing piece of your soul and the lost technology of Mary Magdalene
    Apr 21 2026

    Your profound feeling of spiritual isolation is the byproduct of the 2,000-year erasure of Mary Magdalene. This episode identifies the deliberate hit job on the manual of the soul and provides direct ways to reclaim your own state of being.


    We look at why spiritual talk often feels like empty repetition and how rigid religious systems were built on fear to keep you dependent on authority. By exploring the missing pages of the Berlin Codex and the suppressed Gospel of Mary Magdalene, we find a practical system for protecting your own inner light. You’ll learn to recognize the triggers used by your environment to take your focus and how to stay present as a witness. This is a look at the rivalry between Mary and Peter and the calculated decision to prioritize power over your internal knowledge.


    In this episode:


    • The deliberate deletion of Mary Magdalene and the damaged Berlin Codex.
    • How to build an “inner witness” to watch your own reactions.
    • Using silence as a shield against daily emotional triggers.
    • The battle for authority and the suppression of direct knowledge.


    Inquiry for Your Journal or for use within MOODS:


    1) Pick a recurring trigger like fear or shame. Notice exactly where it hits in your body. Observe the specific story it tells you about your value. Step back and watch the situation from a distance. Write about what you see when you look at the reaction without getting sucked into it.


    2) Sit in total silence for five minutes. When you feel the urge to check your phone, ask what your body fears about the quiet. Use the silence as a shield. Describe pulling your focus back into your own center and note what remains once the distraction is gone.


    3) Look for areas where you follow rules or wait for someone else to say you’re right. Identify times you ignore your own knowledge because you’re afraid to be alone. Describe what changes when you stop looking for a boss and act as the steady point in the middle of a storm.


    🜏 CONTINUE THE WORK: If you recognize yourself in something from this episode, don’t leave it unresolved. If you want more depth and the full archive: Join the BFTB Patreon → https://patreon.com/backfromtheborderline


    You’ll get:


    ☆ Weekly bonus episodes

    ☆ Consciousness Stream

    ☆ Archetypal tarot + astrology forecasts

    ☆ Full ad-free archive access


    If you want to actually work through it: Use MOODS → https://app.moods.world/

    MOODS is a private place to take what’s coming up and see it clearly without performing it or involving anyone else. You can try both MOODS and Patreon free for 7 days to see if they’re right for you. If you join Patreon first: You’ll also unlock discounted access to MOODS. See you inside.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 42 mins
  • Why your repetitive trauma cycles are fueling a reality that feeds on you

    Why your repetitive trauma cycles are fueling a reality that feeds on you
    Apr 14 2026

    Your repetitive trauma cycles are fueling a reality that feeds on you.


    The mental health industry's focus on disordered brains or biological explanations for your suffering often ignores the truth found in the Gnostic gospels. This episode takes a deep look at how your shame, fear, and trauma serve a system that thrives on your pain.


    The three faces of the entity that runs this world create the voices in your head. One face is arrogant and thinks he's the center of existence. Another’s a fool who makes you believe lies about your worth. The third face’s completely blind and keeps you numb. Learning the names of these voices strips them of their power.


    Mary Magdalene’s teachings provide a way to navigate this world. Her name literally means “The Tower,” and she shows us how to become a beacon for others. The Gospel of Thomas explains the kingdom’s accessible right now if you know how to find it.


    Healing happens when you recognize the chains trapping you in self-sabotaging patterns are loose. You’ve got to be the one to decide to walk away.

    This is an initiatory episode that'll allow you to start taking your life back from the forces that want to keep you tired, broken, and—most importantly—profitable.


    It’s time to wake up.


    🜏 CONTINUE THE WORK


    If you recognize yourself in something from this episode, don’t leave it unresolved.


    If you want more depth and the full archive: Join the BFTB Patreon → https://patreon.com/backfromtheborderline


    You’ll get:


    ☆ Weekly bonus episodes

    ☆ Consciousness Stream

    ☆ Archetypal tarot + astrology forecasts

    ☆ Full ad-free archive access


    If you want to actually work through it: Use MOODS → https://app.moods.world/


    MOODS is a private place to take what’s coming up and see it clearly without performing it or involving anyone else. You can try both MOODS and Patreon free for 7 days to see if they’re right for you. If you join Patreon first: You’ll also unlock discounted access to MOODS. See you inside.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 4 mins
All stars
Most relevant
I waited weeks before deciding to write a review, and even then I decided to be kind and give some constructive feedback on the instagram page instead of hurting the brand. It didn’t work. The problem is it became abundantly clear she just wants to talk, just her. She brings on a multitude of experts in the field yet doesn’t give them the time to say anything and cuts them of most of the time. It’s abundantly clear as time goes by that this is a way to get free therapy for her and if you want to hear a snippet of advise from an expert you will have to compromise and listen to the exact same repeated story of her life beforehand. As a fellow BPD’er I thought long and hard about how to broach the subject as I know how everything can feel like an attack when challenged. My feedback was fair, not attacking in any way and really constructive as it was truly for the benefit of potentially bettering the podcast for the future. I know there are more of us with the view having discussed it with my partner and a friend I had referred it on to so I really just wanted to keep listening. I was met with extreme defensive measures, being gaslit by giving me figures to try to disprove my claims and even going as far as to give anecdotes on the extremely positive things people had said in response to the episodes to try and invalidate or minimalize my view. This is nothing less than narcissistic behaviour. I kept my cool and remained nice, however the conversation was deleted as was I from her page. This is not the way to treat people, fans no less. People want to see you succeed yet your attacks keep them from trying to help. This will likely come as no surprise to the people around you, you just need to start seeing it yourself. You’re clearly bright, but can’t quite seem to put your awareness into actions. And you’re right, there are more podcasts out there, thanks for the tip.

No longer a fan

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I've listened to this for years and have had some really useful information imparted on me. i like the host and find it has validated a lot of experiences ive gone through.

great podcast on the topic of a complex issue

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