Thoughts or comments? Send us a text!
What happens when trauma shatters your world at 17? Susan Snow's life changed forever on Halloween night 1985 when her father, LAPD detective Thomas C. Williams, was ambushed and murdered. For 14 years afterward, she existed rather than lived, carrying undiagnosed PTSD while wearing a mask of strength that hid her internal chaos.
Susan takes us through her raw, unfiltered journey—from witnessing her father's body at the crime scene to the failed therapy that pronounced her "fine for the rest of her life" when she was anything but. The turning point came unexpectedly when news coverage of the Columbine shooting triggered overwhelming flashbacks, forcing her to finally seek effective help. Her story illuminates the difference between experiencing trauma and developing PTSD, and how proper diagnosis can be the first step toward healing.
The conversation dives deep into practical recovery tools that actually work—like the simple journaling practice that helped Susan sleep through the night after years of insomnia, and the breathing techniques she still uses today when triggers arise. She candidly discusses how trauma affected her relationships, identity, and sense of safety in the world, and the liberation she found in writing her book, "The Other Side of the Gun: My Journey from Trauma to Resiliency," despite fears of vulnerability and potential retaliation.
This episode offers not just inspiration but tangible guidance for anyone navigating trauma's aftermath. Susan's message is clear and powerful: healing is possible, not as a perfect linear journey but as a process that transforms your relationship with your past and empowers you to reclaim your future. By doing the hard work of healing for yourself first, you create ripples that extend to everyone around you.
Sign up for Mary's email community for musings and narrative on life and nature.
Sign up for the launch team for my book, Nature Knows, and get free insider news and surprises at https://maryrothwell.net/natureknows
Comments about this episode? Suggestions for a future episode? Wanna be a guest? Email me directly at NSVpodcast@gmail.com.
Follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and check out my website!
