In this episode of the Recovery Rebirth Podcast, Part 3 in a series, we focus on adult trauma and also discuss PTSD. Many of us in recovery have a foundation of trauma from childhood. Unfortunately, we can get stuck in repetition compulsion as adults, recreating traumatic dynamics from our youth as adults which compounds our existing trauma. While many people conflate PTSD with soldiers returning from war, there are myriad ways PTSD can be experienced.
Dominick shares about his PTSD surrounding money and scarcity mentality rooted in his childhood experience with precarious financial situations. He recalls an episode waking up gripped with fear about work and financial security. He realized he was having a flashback from his childhood. It took several days to get his mind, body and spirit into alignment after the episode. We discuss the potential to transition from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset through the recovery process.
Jillian reflects on her long-standing pattern of trauma bonding in her romantic relationships. From her experience in a psychologically abusive relationship with a narcissist to a decade long relationship with an alcoholic who cheated, these experiences manifested as PTSD. Both of these relationships triggered her abandonment fears from childhood and left her hypervigilant as a result.
We delve into trauma recovery resources for listeners. While we hope sharing our experience, strength and hope will help others, we also defer to experts to offer tools to further people’s healing.
Additionally, we highlight the importance of doing the footwork. Showing up to a meeting or having access to recovery tools is part of the solution, but we have to be willing to do the work. Thankfully we don’t have to do this work alone! We have a community of support to help facilitate our healing and recovery…one day at a time.
Resources
Trauma Recovery
“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma”—Bessel van der Kolk, MD
“Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma”—Peter A. Levine
“It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle”—Mark Wolynn
Abundance Mindset
“The Abundance Project: 40 Days to More Wealth, Health, Love, and Happiness”—Derek Rydall
Coping with Anxiety
“Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It”—Chris Voss
Articles
Websites
Videos
Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime
Joelle Maletis
Recovery/Therapy Options
https://beckinstitute.org/trauma-treatment/
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-are-treatments-for-posttraumatic-stress-disorder#1
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/index.asp
