Q: What drew you to the work of trauma?
A: When I was 13 I survived a rare allergic reaction to a medication. Almost overnight I turned into the equivalent of a full-body burn victim. Over the next few weeks in a quarantined burn unit hospital room, I lost the first two layers of my epidermis. For the next 25-plus years I struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. When I finally healed from PTSD (I’ve been 100 percent symptom-free for almost a decade), I had a large desire to give back and help others on a similar quest for recovery. I founded HealMyPTSD.com, launched the radio show “Changing Direction,” trained as a healing professional, and began writing books about healing PTSD. Today, I work with and speak to audiences that contain survivors of all types, including Holocaust survivors and people who’ve experienced combat, domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault, to name a few.Q: In the biography on your website, you mention the idea of going through a “healing rampage” to face your trauma. Can you explain what that term means?
A: So often we approach recovery more as bystanders and observers than as participants deeply involved in the healing process. For example, I showed up for therapy once a week expecting my therapist to do the work. After the sessions I coped with symptoms and avoided any other healing work until the next session. But healing happens when we engage. A “healing rampage” is an approach to recovery that is, 1) committed — we keep going no matter what; 2) consistent — we work at it every day; 3) creative — we look for new options and healing opportunities; and, 4) complex — we do the deep work rather than skim the surface as we seek relief.Q: What are some signs and symptoms of those who experience PTSD as a result of having lived in concentration camps or in hiding, or both?
A: Survivors who experience PTSD will see symptoms in these categories:- Avoidance: Deliberate evasion of all sensory or other reminders of the trauma
- Re-experiencing: Unwanted remembering of the trauma, including through nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts
- Arousal: The sensation of being alert to imminent threat, including hypervigilance, hyper arousal, and exaggerated startle response
- Mood alterations: Dysregulated emotions, mood swings, a persistent negative perspective about oneself, others and the world, plus self-blame and shame
