Medical Trauma Therapy in Austin
And virtually throughout Texas
You went through a stressful experience in the medical system. It may have been one terrifying event, repeated dismissal and invalidation, a childhood medical trauma, or as a caregiver.
Your body learned to survive. Now it can learn to feel safe.
Medical trauma is incredibly common, the research shows that there are millions of people walking around with medical trauma. Even with those numbers, medical trauma is not frequently talked about which can make people who have experienced it feel alone and isolated. Medical trauma is often complicated with many pieces to the experience that can be confusing and hard to make sense of.
You may be triggered by sensory experiences without fully understanding why; the smell of the soap in the hospital, the sound of beeping, seeing flashing lights. These are memories held in our body which is why I believe that we must address the body in therapy to deeply heal from medical trauma.
Examples of Medical Trauma
A frightening or life-threatening diagnosis
A painful, invasive, or unexpected medical procedure
Surgery, including complications, anesthesia awareness, or a difficult recovery
A serious illness, hospitalization, or ICU stay
A traumatic birth experience (for the birthing person, partner, or infant)
Feeling dismissed, disbelieved, or dehumanized by a healthcare provider
How you may feel after Medical Trauma
Intense anxiety or fear around medical appointments, procedures, or environments
Avoidance of healthcare, postponing or canceling appointments despite needing care
Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares related to a medical experience
Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected from what happened
Shame, guilt, or self-blame related to a medical event
Grief over what your body has been through
A pervasive sense that your body is unsafe or untrustworthy
Racing thoughts about health and what might go wrong
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions related to healthcare
Black-and-white thinking about medical experiences ("I can never trust a doctor again")
A sense that the traumatic medical event defines you or changed who you are
Receiving bad news in a cold or poorly communicated way
A medical emergency involving yourself or a loved one
Chronic illness that requires ongoing, overwhelming medical intervention
Childhood medical experiences involving procedures, hospitalizations, or surgeries
Witnessing a medical emergency or traumatic medical event
Physical tension or pain with no clear medical cause
A "startle" response to medical environments, smells, or sounds
Nausea, racing heart, or shortness of breath when thinking about medical care
Fatigue or exhaustion that feels deeper than physical tiredness
Feeling disconnected from or at war with your own body
Difficulty feeling physical sensations clearly
Difficulty trusting healthcare providers, even ones who are genuinely caring
Feeling unable to advocate for yourself in medical settings
Anger or frustration that feels disproportionate in healthcare situations
Withdrawing from people who want to help
Over-researching or obsessing about health symptoms as a way of feeling in control
Avoiding talking about the medical experience because it's too painful
For more on Medical Trauma
Sarah has devoted years to studying medical trauma, from a research perspective but more importantly through running medical trauma peer support groups and speaking about it on the Medical Trauma Support podcast. If you would like to learn more about medical trauma, please visit the Medical Trauma Support website and the Podcast page.