Episode 73 | July 23, 2024
Dr. Jenny King, Assistant Professor and the Co-Director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity joins us to discuss how trauma effects the mind and body & how boundaries can help people go from surviving to thriving.
Dr. Jenny King breaks down the difference between PTSD and CPSTD, how trauma can cause long term pain, anxiety, and other physical & mental struggles as well as how survivors can make small changes to begin to heal.
INTRO
Welcome to “That’s a Hard No” – the podcast about learning to say no and set boundaries to live our best lives.
Follow along with me as we learn from fellow strugglers and experts, so that you too can start saying no without feeling fear, guilt, or FOMO.
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Jenny King is an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. After more than a decade of doing therapy, Dr. King now works to prepare future social workers to engage in clinical practice that is rooted in the neurobiology of trauma and healing. A highly sought-after speaker and consultant, she draws from her practice experience to bridge the gap between the academy, research, and the general public, sharing complex information in accessible ways. Dr. King is the creator of the Take a Break Micropractice framework– a neurobiologically-informed, body-based approach to managing stress fast. Listen in as she talks with us about trauma, the boundaries we can set, ways to begin healing, and how our brains can change.
Key Takeaways
“Who knew my fibromyalgia could be caused from the traumas of my childhood? I left this conversation feeling seen, and I hope you do too.”
- is a mental health condition that can develop if you experience chronic (long-term) trauma
[00:05:23] CPTSD vs PTSD
- Neither have to do with the severity of the episode
- Both can be extremely traumatic, complex PTSD (CPSTD) refers to long term exposure to trauma, such as long term child abuse, whereas PTSD generally refers to a singular event or short terms experience
[00:19:06] Trauma responses and reactions
- CPSTD can cause autoimmune disorders or long term pain
- Short Term
- Rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, dissociating, passing out, nightmares
- Long Term
- Daydreaming, pain, depression, anxiety, avoiding certain places, difficulties with relationships, impulsivity, aggressiveness
[00:31:00] Signs of needing help
“There’s a saying you can’t heal in the same place that made you sick. Right.”
- Difficulty in day-to-day life
- Dysfunctional relationships
- Struggle to maintain job/living situation
[00:37:03] Rewiring the brain – Neuroplasticity
“The fact that we can grow new parts of our brain and just by taking action and being proactive is so incredible to me.”
- Oftentimes in trauma situations people are reminded negatively that this changes you, trauma changes your brain – and it can, however, the beauty of the brain is that it can change
- With little repetitive behaviors you, too, can change your brain so there are ways to heal it as well
“Practicing setting boundaries with people whom will respect them, I think is a great first step.”
[00:43:30] Using scripts
- Having packaged terms and statements to make boundaries easier to set is okay
- When similar questions come your way in terms of trauma situations or experiences you can have standard responses you feel comfortable giving
- Our episode with author Sarah Knight, dives deeper into lots of options that generally put a stop to follow up questions listen here
[00:48:10] Setting boundaries and self-appreciation
- A reminder in most aspects of life and healing is that you should be gentle with yourself – a trauma response and recovery is not linear, try not to have unrealistic expectations of yourself and be kind to yourself as you experience the onset of lots of feelings along the way
“Setting a boundary isn’t about telling other people how to behave. It’s about what you will accept.”
[00:48:46] Trauma discourse and collective experiences
- Sharing can always help
Where to Find Jenny
- LinkedIn – Dr. Jennifer King
- Instagram – @DrJennyKing
Credits and Thanks
- Many thanks to our friends and families (our “villagers”) for listening, and for your continued support.
- That’s a Hard No is a production of Clever Girl Marketing
- Marketing and Production Coordinator, Maura Del Rosario
- Production Support, Evergreen Podcasts, Noah Foutz, Producer
- New Rock Anthem Music: Written by Noah, and performed by his band, The Big Leagues
- Videographer, Kae Holmberg