Overcoming Generational Trauma

Today, my guest is Theresa Tirk. Theresa says all her life, she has been a people pleaser. Growing up in dysfunction, it was her way of surviving. Theresa says she never considered her health, emotions, or feelings – she shoved it all down to avoid conflict or chaos! She says it erupted like a volcano after 30+ years of silencing herself. There was no more avoiding it. The time to deal with all the hurt, the trauma, the feelings, and the emotions she had ignored for decades had finally come to the surface.

Theresa and I have so much alignment in how we both grew up - the trauma of living with parents with co-dependency can have massive effects on those living around it all.

According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is "an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical."

The APA says, "longer-term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea."

The feelings we get from trauma are normal. However, if we harbor them too long, they can keep up from being able to build genuine, lasting, and positive relationships with those around us. I know this all too well.

Theresa and I talk transparently about our upbringings and what we have learned along the way. I hope this conversation helps anyone out there who may be experiencing similar feelings.

I encourage anyone who has endured childhood trauma to look into EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - Therapy. Look for reputable therapists who are well-versed in this area and can help you along your journey to recovery.

I am genuinely grateful I went through EMDR. It helped me tremendously, and I recommend it to anyone harboring things. We are meant for greatness, but we must be willing to work through things to get where we are meant to be.

Thank you, Theresa, for showing up and sharing your story. If you found value in this episode, please share it with others. Also, please subscribe to the Breaking Barriers Now podcast on all podcasting platforms. I also encourage you to join us inside Convene Communities.

Learn more about Theresa and what she has to offer at https://www.theritualqueen.com/.

Thank you for being a part of this mission.

Find out how to connect with me and learn more about her at https://linktr.ee/jodiwatkins.