I was interviewed by Melissa Wilson for The Grass Gets Greener podcast. She's interviewed over 100 survivors and I was honored to speak about developmental trauma, PTSD and the healing process - and even a little about ACEs and this group.
It's a little bit embarrassing to share here because I have not exactly been speedy when it comes to healing. The process, which started in my early 20's, had been slow and isolating. However, I know I'm not unique and in general, there's still too little talk about living with ACEs from those doing just that. So I'm glad to be part of that conversation. There's more community now and I think that's beneficial because we get to relate with and learn from one another.
I do speak some of the ACEs I experienced although I don't speak about everything or go into any graphic detail. The show notes are below and here's a link to the podcast if you're interested.
In this episode, I’m joined by Christine Cissy White. Cissy joins me to share her story of how she was affected by developmental trauma and neglect and the roles that writing and peer support have played in her healing journey.
Traumatic experience:
Cissy grew up suffering from developmental trauma and neglect. There was abuse, addiction, and physical violence in her family, and her father wasn’t present in her life.
Effects of the traumatic experience:
As a result of the trauma, Cissy felt like she didn’t know how to be human. She was diagnosed with PTSD in early twenties. She had trouble connecting to her feelings and her own body and her own needs. She also struggled with anxiety to the point that it was interfering with her life.
Overcoming the traumatic experience:
Cissy started with talk therapy, but she always relied on reading and writing as a way to cope with what she was going through. As she got older, she attended writing groups which were very healing for her as well. Having pets helped her while she was growing up, and yoga helped her feel more connected to her body.
What Cissy does today: Cissy is a mom, activist, and writer.
Final Question:
Given what you know now, if you could go back to when you were going through the tough times and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Cissy’s Answer: Have more compassion for how scrappy you have to be to survive and try to have more fun.
Links Mentioned
HealWriteNow.com – Cissy’s website where you connect with her
ACEsTooHigh.com – Where you can find more information about the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study
Parenting with ACEs Group – a group Cissy manages on the ACEs Connection Network for people interested in this topic
LauraDavis.net – Where you can find writing prompts to help you in your healing journey
If you know of other podcasts that would be interesting to people here, please leave a comment or send me a private message.
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