Staying off the Trauma Train with Shay Seaborne

Shay Seaborne is a trauma survivor, educator, and activist dedicated to demystifying trauma and helping people heal from - and with - Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). Seaborne survived childhood sexual abuse at the hands of family members, as well as abuse and torture at other hands during her teens, only to become retraumatized by a mental healthcare system that essentially incarcerated her against her will for as long as insurance would pay for it. She found her own road to recovery, and what she recovered was herself. And that self - funny, caring, wise - is now paying it forward. In our far-ranging conversation, we covered the origins of trauma, the mistaken societal beliefs that reinforce trauma and get in the way of healing, and ways of empowering trauma survivors to reconnect with their bodies. Seaborne spoke to the current pandemic as a "pre-traumatic state" for many of us, which is triggering old traumas through both chronic stress and inaccessibility of social support. As a result, we're seeing more and more acting out of old wounds on an individual and societal level. The opportunity here is for each of us to get in touch with those old traumas, those disconnections from our selves that we enacted when our internal resources were no match for what was happening to us, and bring them into the light. To face them not as helpless infants or children, but as full adults with choices and understanding.  We discussed various ways of healing trauma, from art to drum circles to communal dance to psychedelics and other teacher plants, to a simple and quick breathing technique that Seaborne demonstrated (and guided me through). And laughter - always laughter.