Ep. 51: Automatic Trauma Responses, The Four F's, And Rewiring The Brain

Welcome back, friends! I'm so glad you're tuning into this episode!

If you're new here, hello and welcome! I'm so glad you found my podcast and we're now connected!

Before saying anything else, I want to apologize for not having this episode out last week like originally planned! I changed  banking stuff and until Buzzsprout could verify it was me who purposely made that change, to play if safe they suspended my account. We're back in business now, and I'm good to get back to podcasting as usual!

We talk a lot about mental health on this podcast. Our mental and physical health are connected though, so I thought a conversation about the mind body connection would be beneficial. 

In today's episode friends, that is exactly what we're doing. During today's chat you'll learn what the mind body connection is, ways to tell if/when your mind and body need to be re-connected, and tangible habits we can all do daily that will help us keep or mind body connection strong or realign ourselves when life gets hard. 

Welcome back to Triumph After Trauma, friends!

If you're new here, I'm so glad you found my podcast and we're now connected! Welcome to the community!

Sometimes we go through something in life that deeply affects us, but we can't quite tell if what we're feeling is categorized as trauma or if what we're stuck in is a state of trauma.  This can happen to any of us - especially when an experience or sudden life change hits us like a freight train and we go into survival mode. When we are focused on (maybe barely) surviving each day, focusing on anything else can feel impossible.

There comes a time when we finally feel like we can start baby steps in healing.  and we need to figure out what types of tools, resources, coping mechanisms, and support we need. Knowing how your body and mind have reacted or are reacting to an experience can help you do that.

If you're not sure if what you're experiencing and feeling can be considered trauma, there are some signs you can look out for. Today friends, we're having a conversation about what some of the common signs are that we're experiencing trauma or are actually stuck in a state of trauma. 

If you resonate with this or the conversation hits home with you, feel free to  DM me on Instagram (thisiskaitey is my handle), so we can connect more! If you know someone who needs to hear this, share the episode on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma. I'm so dang grateful we're connected <3

Welcome back, friends! I'm so happy you're here for the 75th episode of Triumph After Trauma!

If you're new here, hello & welcome to this community! I'm so happy you have found your way here, and we're now connected! 

I cannot believe it ( but am also so thankful), but I have officially released 75 episodes since starting this journey with you all December 2021. When I started I was fearful and doubted myself, but I am SO excited to be at this point and have the chance to use my voice via this platform. 

YOU are all the reason I'm still here and still love podcasting, so from the bottom of my heart, thank every single one of you so dang much! I truly love connecting with you all!

Now, a bit about today's episode. We're diving in deep friends, and talking about health related and medical traumas. I share some of my own experiences, the importance of working through our experiences (as hard as that is), and some ways you can begin to process what you have been through/might be holding onto. 

If this episode is helpful for you or resonates with you, DM me on Instagram (@thisiskaitey) is my handle), so we can connect more! 

If you know someone who needs to hear this, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma. I am so dang grateful we're connected <3

Welcome back to Triumph After Trauma, friends!

If you're new here, I'm so glad you found my podcast and we're connected!

In my late teens/early 20's when my mental health was at its worst, I heavily struggled with having respect for, liking, or appreciating my body. I didn't like any of me including the body I had, and I didn't see myself through my own eyes. It has taken years of work, struggle, effort, patience, tears, and trial and error, and personal growth to get to a place of feeling healthy and good in my body. Honestly, my late 20's was the first time in my adulthood I had true self respect, love, and confidence. 

I'm 32 and have been lucky enough to have no issues with body image for about four or five years now. However, through 2023 I unexpectedly experienced a few health issues. Debilitating migraines were the worst of my health issues. They got so bad that the last half of 2023 every time one migraine attack (a few days to a week long) ended, another attack would start within a day or two.

Chronic migraines are no freaking joke. While I'm grateful I've finally found a medication that is preventing them, this past year of dealing with migraines constantly has changed my body/strength and I'm struggling a lit bit with body image right now. It's a common thing (for a wide variety of reasons, and at all different levels of severity) unfortunately for people to struggle with body image.

Since it's something I have struggled with and am having trouble with again now, I felt like this is the right time for me to bring this topic up on my podcast. I share my experiences struggling with body image, some of the work I've done (and still do) to work through these issues with how I see/treat my body, and how I'm dealing with my inner critic/chatty mind when they creep in on me now. 

If this episode was at all helpful to you or you resonate with my story, send me a DM on Instagram (@thisiskaitey is my handle) so we can connect more! If you know someone who needs to hear this, share the episode on social media and tag me so I can thank you for spreading the word about Triumph After Trauma! I'm  so glad we're connected <3

Welcome back to Triumph After Trauma, friends!

If you've just found my podcast, I'm so glad you're here and we can connect!

I recently hit a huge milestone in my life, 10 years clean from self harm, and it honestly feels a little surreal. It has been a long and extremely tough road to get myself to this point, but every ounce of work over the years has been worth it. I'm forever grateful I found the strength in me to fight for myself, and never for a second blind to how lucky I am to have hit such a milestone.

In a previous episode I have shared the deep and dark details of what things were like at the time I was struggling with hurting myself, and how I found the strength in myself to fight for myself. If you're curious to hear that part of the story, check out _____.

Since I've been clean for a decade officially, it felt right to share some tips for how you can stop (yourself from) self harming if you're not doing well, and a few ways you can support loved ones struggling with this who you want to support - from someone who has walked the path and does work every day to stay on the right track. 

Please know if you're struggling with your mental health or self harm and are worried about your safety, there is absolutely NO shame in seeing your doctor, going to the hospital, contacting mental health services (such as crisis hotlines), or getting professional help via therapy. If you are struggling, I encourage you to reach out for help. It's scary, but it's going to be worth doing.

If you resonate with or relate to any of this, send me a DM on Instagram (@thisiskaitey is my handle) so we can connect more! If you know someone who needs to hear this, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for spreading the word about Triumph After Trauma. I'm so grateful we're connected <3

HAPPY 2024 YOU LOVELY HUMAN BEINGS!

I can't believe we're already in 2024, time goes by quicker and quicker the older I get!

I hope you brought yourself into this year in ways that felt right/safe/good for you.

For the first episode of 2024 friends, we're having a great chat about the statement "what you don't work through, will keep you weighed down". I heard this during a Mel Robbins podcast last week, and I think because we were at the end of 2023 it got me reflecting on who I am today vs. who I may have ended up being if over the years I never worked through really tough/heavy things.

I dive deep with you all today on who I think I may have ended up being today if specific things, because I want you to hear real life examples and truly understand the importance (and benefits) of working through hard shit instead of letting it simmer inside or drown you.

Hello friends, and welcome back to Triumph After Trauma!

If you're new here, I'm so excited you found this podcast and we can start connecting! 

This is it friends, the final episode of 2023. 

What a year it has been. The roller coaster called life had plenty of ups and incredible memories were made, but I'd be lying to say there were no massive bumps throughout the year. Today friends, I'm sharing with some of the biggest lessons I learned through 2023. I hope you spend this episode reflecting, learning, and laughing with me.

If any of this episode resonates with you, feel free to DM me on Instagram (@thisiskaitey is my handle) so we can connect more! If you know someone who could benefit from any of this episode, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for spreading the word about Triumph After Trauma! i'm so grateful we're connected <3