Episode 22

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Published on:

18th Aug 2025

Surviving the Quiet Side of DV

Regina Hiremath stayed in a toxic marriage for 23 years—navigating narcissistic abuse, generational trauma, and the quiet devastation of survival mode. But the moment she chose herself, her whole life shifted.

This episode is a masterclass in courage—a reckoning with the subtle faces of abuse and a celebration of the power that emerges when a woman says: “No more.”

  • 🔥 From childhood neglect to being raised by an alcoholic guardian
  • ⚠️ The silent damage of financial and emotional abuse
  • 💼 Thriving in business while falling apart personally
  • ✊ Reclaiming her voice through writing, speaking & advocacy
  • 💥 How survival mode became a trap—and how she finally broke free


🎙️ What We Talk About:

  • The reality of surviving narcissistic abuse without physical violence
  • How trauma hides in high achievement and “keeping it together”
  • Why survival mode often delays self-awareness
  • The healing power of storytelling and writing a memoir
  • What reinvention looks like in real life—not just Instagram
  • Why you don’t have to hate the version of you that helped you survive


🔑 Key Takeaways:

“It wasn’t just surviving—I was a hostage.”
“I didn’t realize I was a DV victim until after I divorced him.”
“Writing my memoir helped me understand how it all connected.”
“Everything I needed was already inside of me—I just had to say yes.”


🙌 Why This Episode Matters:

So many women suffer in silence because their abuse doesn’t “look” like the stories we’re told. But emotional warfare is just as real—and just as damaging. Regina’s story is proof that the quietest trauma can leave the loudest scars… but it can also birth the fiercest transformation. If you’ve ever doubted your pain, this episode will validate your experience and remind you: You are not crazy. You were conditioned to survive. And now? You get to thrive.


💬 Connect with Regina:

📖 Read her blog: www.alimonialife.com

📚 Book: Lessons on the Way to One Self

📱 Follow her socials via her website


🔗 Resources & Links:



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Show artwork for Survival Mode Disrupted with Leticia R Francis

About the Podcast

Survival Mode Disrupted with Leticia R Francis
Disrupted Unapologetic Conversations about Survival Mode
Survival Mode Disrupted is not just a podcast. It's a rebellion.

A raw, unfiltered space where we finally stop pretending we're fine and start telling the truth—the truth about the trauma we've carried, the identities they had to wear to survive, and the radical decisions we made to break free.

Because here's the deal: survival mode isn’t just a season. It’s a damn identity. One that so many were forced to adopt just to get through life, to stay safe, to stay needed, to stay sane. But eventually, it starts costing you more than it protects. Your peace. Your purpose. Your power.

This podcast is for the disruptors—the people who were told to stay small, stay silent, stay grateful for crumbs… and said “hell no.”

Hosted by Leticia, The Survival Mode Disruptor herself—a trauma recovery mentor, speaker, and woman who has lived through the fires of abuse, betrayal, and breakdown and still chose to rise—this show dives deep into the unapologetic exits from survival mode that no one talks about.

You’ll hear from women (and a few brave men) who walked away from toxic relationships, soul-sucking careers, generational dysfunction, religious trauma, cultural expectations, and the lies they were taught to believe about themselves. Not because it was easy—but because staying would’ve killed something sacred inside of them.

These are the stories of bold pivots, quiet courage, and messy but miraculous rebirths.

Each episode is a conversation—a disruption—meant to wake something up in you. Whether it’s a guest sharing the moment they chose themselves for the first time, or Leticia dropping a truth bomb that makes you question everything you’ve normalized, this podcast is here to shake the foundation of your survival mode identity and replace it with something truer. Something freer.

We’re not here for surface-level self-care tips or fake empowerment slogans.

We’re here to talk about what it really takes to:

Reclaim your voice after being silenced.

Reinvent yourself after being broken down.

Rewrite your story when everyone else wants you to stay the same.

Release the guilt of choosing YOU.

This is for those who are done performing. Done pleasing. Done pretending.

It’s for the ones ready to exit survival mode—not slowly, not quietly, but disruptively and unapologetically.

You won’t leave this podcast the same.
You’ll cry. You’ll rage. You’ll laugh.
You’ll see yourself in every story.
And more importantly, you’ll remember who the hell you are.

Welcome to Survival Mode Disrupted.
It’s not just a podcast.
It’s a movement.
And your exit begins here.

About your host

Profile picture for Leticia Francis

Leticia Francis

I am not here to inspire you—I am here to activate you.

As a Survivor, Keynote Speaker, and Trauma Recovery Mentor, I know what it’s like to fight battles no one sees. I also know that breaking free is possible. My work is about disrupting survival mode, exposing trauma-driven success cycles, and giving women the blueprint to reclaim their lives.

🔹 200+ podcast features & speaking engagements
🔹 Global Women of Choice Award Winner 2022
🔹 Creator of the Survival Mode Exit Plan
🔹 Host of Survival Mode Disrupted Podcast