Free trauma conference

[CactusFlower]

found on CPTSD reddit:
Biology of Trauma summit is this week. Each day's videos are available for 24 hours for free. https://biologyoftrauma.byhealthmeans.com/daily-event/

Lots of discussion of adverse childhood experiences and their impact on health later in life.

[Papa Coco]

CactusFlower,

Thank you for sharing this link. I got the chance to see three of the videos. There is some helpful information in them.

[CactusFlower]

While the topics do look interested, I'm a bit put off by one of today's. "How to Prevent and Overcome Fibromyalgia" as a title indicates to me he's full of cow poo. They can't even 100% agree what causes it, let alone how to treat it.  I have fibro. Painkillers don't help, exercise doesn't help, meditating doesn't help, and my instinctive reaction to a title like that is "oh god, he's gonna be one of those -have you tried yoga and kale- people".

Whew, didn't realize that was a hot button for me. Sorry.

[Papa Coco]

Yeah, I'm having some reactions too.  I've been dealing with obesity for the past 30 years. The first day video on how childhood trauma, especially sexual abuse, tends to lead to adulthood obesity was nice information, but, what am I supposed to about it?  Okay. I agree: I'm obese because every night I feel myself being pulled back into the drama of my past, and every night, I find comfort in ice cream and processed meals and snack foods. I've lost 60 pounds three times in the past 15 years, only to gain it all right back again. I lose it when I'm in the mood to take care of myself. But the mood to take care of myself is a fleeting mood that I seldom feel. Most often I feel self-destructive. Childhood training of "have a snack, it'll make you feel better" led me to the fridge instead of something more productive any time I needed help with abuse or loneliness or confusion. Mom's only cure for sadness or fear was a snack. I'm stuck there. My doctor is pushing me to lose the weight again, but losing it takes dedication and self-love: Two things I'm short on right now.

I'm very glad the video discussed the how and why of adulthood obesity in trauma victims, but knowing what to do about it is still eluding me. I know how to lose the weight. I just don't know how to make myself WANT to.

[Papa Coco]

Cactusflower,

I'm sorry to hear you are a Fibromyalgia sufferer. My wife deals with it also. I see the frustrations you speak of, from the Fibro-mystery of "What is it?" to finding doctors who will believe her. I can easily see how Fibro can be caused by childhood trauma, but...again...so what? What do we do with that today? We've learned that childhood trauma can't be erased, so what do we do with the lifelong health problems it causes in us? After watching some of the videos, I ordered the book Scared Sick. I prefer paper over kindle so my copy is supposed to arrive tomorrow.

I'm searching for useful insights that help me grapple with the fact that my childhood is still causing health issues in me, BUT I also hope to one day find a direction to move forward in. I get it. Childhood trauma manifests in physical illness. So...what do we do with this information?

[CactusFlower]

Good questions. Sometimes, even if I don't have a direction to go with it, I at least find some comfort in knowing there was a legitimate cause/source for what's wrong. I haven't experienced this, but I've read where some other fibro people have had docs and all tell them it's not real, it's just in their mind, which a giant load of cow piles. It's not so much a "what do I do with that" as it is a "See? I'm not making it up!" Even if there are other causes, it also feels validating to say yes, my trauma messed me up. So much that it manifested physically as well. We do have a long way to go on the concept of how that can then affect treatment. There is no cure for fibromyalgia and I doubt I'll see one in my lifetime, so I just have to learn how to incorporate my healing from trauma into my coping with fibro. Stress absolutely makes the pain worse. So I learn ways to reduce the stress when I can.

I lost 50 lbs with Weight watchers, but it came back after I stopped. My mom also comforted with certain foods, and I also enjoy food on my own. If knowing that it's also attached to my trauma helps me recognize that pattern, I can slowly and gradually work on changing patterns. Even if I can't be at 100%, I can make healthier choices in general and at least recognize that if I choose to have that treat or whatever, I know why and what it does to me and accept the consequences. It's more for me about regaining a trust in my own body, understanding what I'm feeling, and having the option to make that choice being fully informed. it's not someone else making any choices for me.

i hope that made sense.

[Papa Coco]

Hi Cactusflower,

Good point. Just finally knowing that my obesity is rooted in my childhood, does at least set the direction for my journey. It doesn't cure me today, but perhaps as I live with the knowledge that another diet won't fix this permanently, but the more I can accept what I'm learning about my how my past controls my present, maybe I'll change behaviors slowly and progressively until a day comes where I realize I'm not standing at the fridge door as much as I used to. Healing from childhood trauma is a journey. Moving in the correct direction is what determines where the journey will lead us.

[Hope67]

Hi CactusFlower,
Thanks so much for sharing the details of this Conference, I've just watched the talk by Dr Stephen Porges and really enjoyed it:
https://biologyoftrauma.byhealthmeans.com/expert/stephen-porges/
Was pleased to see they're playing the videos for the weekend.  I hope to catch another one or two, depending on how things go this weekend.
Hope