I’m going to keep this intro short because you want to get to the good stuff. You want to hear what my guest Amy Watson has to share about trauma and PTSD. She’ll share the definition, symptoms and skills to manage PTSD.
I met Amy, this past August (of 2021) in Nashville at a podcast conference. I wish we’d had more face to face time together because she is so interesting and has a gracious, encouraging spirit. She’s a blessing in so many ways.
As we discussed our podcasts she shared the work that she does with regard to PTSD so I assumed she had served with our military forces. However when she shared that her PTSD comes from the traumatic childhood abuse she endured it was a fresh revelation for me to learn that PTSD was not limited to the traumas of military service. It’s attached to trauma, period.
As Christians we know that God can and does do super natural healings. But the reality for some people and I’m included in that is that there are times when God chooses to leave our mountain unmoved. He seems to want challenge us to find Him in the our pain. My experience has been that He wants to reveal something about Himself in our trauma.
It was quite refreshing for me to hear Amy say that her reality is that she still battles PTSD. Sometimes Christians get a bad wrap because we want everything to look perfect. Somewhere along the line we have fallen for the lie that if we serve a perfect God then at the very least, everything should look perfect. So. Not. True.
Amy has real tactics and an arsenal of skills to manage her PTSD. She applies them every time she’s triggered or times when the feeling starts to s creep in.
Like me, Amy knows that God heals in layers. We get levels of breakthrough, peace, and freedom but it remains a fact that more healing is needed. If you experience a trigger associated with your traumatic experience, then be assured there is more freedom, peace and healing for you and God wants to reveal Himself to you in your pain. He wants to rewrite the lies and wounds of this life.
Amy has practical suggestions for dealing with triggers from trauma. She talks about the importance of community, counseling and church. Something else that was interesting to me was when she talked about why we shouldn’t compare our pain, rating them for severity and it has to do with the window of tolerance.
Amy is passionate about letting you know that you are not alone, that there are realistic ways to work your healing, and that there is always, always, always hope.
Amy has practical suggestions for dealing with triggers from trauma. She talks about the importance of community, counseling and church. Something else that was interesting to me was when she talked about why we shouldn’t compare our pain, rating them for severity and it has to do with the window of tolerance.
Amy is passionate about letting you know that you are not alone, that there are realistic ways to work your healing, and that there is always, always, always hope.
Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com
Read more on the topic of suffering here at A Life of Thrive: https://alifeofthrive.com/2021/09/21/suffering/
Get connected with Amy via her podcast website: https://wednesdayswithwatson.com/
Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8f2cf468b3db470eb6dd9a6b7dcda10e/edit_v2
Bio:
I am a Florida girl who loves a simple life, Jesus, family, friends, football and the beach (usually in that order). I am a native of Jacksonville, Florida, but have spent most of my adult life on Florida’s west coast.
While being introduced for a speaking opportunity a few years ago, the pastor asked me “who are you?”. The words that followed shocked even me: “I am the precious daughter of the most high God”. There were many years when I would not have answered that question as I did that day. I have spent most of my life defining myself by all that I have survived; all that I have accomplished or all the degrees on my wall. The truth is, my answer to that pastor’s question that day is the definition that is most important, and one that I hope truly defines my life when I am gone. The rest: survival, accomplishments, and college degrees are certainly a part of my story; and why I write, mentor and speak. My description of “who I am” that day is why I stand proclaiming Him and Him alone.
I grew up in a children’s home, graduated from Clearwater Christian College with a degree in Biology (1994); was married for 12 years to a man who tried to kill me and somewhere along the way managed to earn my Masters Degree in Business Administration. I have enjoyed success as an entrepreneur as well as an educator. As a survivor of a lot of things that tried to kill me, it is my desire to use my story to spread a story of Hope for any who may find themselves in similar situations as mine.
I love both the written and spoken word, and enjoy opportunities to share my experiences in both personal and professional genres. My greatest desire is to invest my life in something that will outlive it. It is my hope that all of my efforts here and other places will accomplish just that.
