Post-ICU Syndrome: Why ICU Survivors Struggle Long After They Leave the Hospital

Post-ICU Syndrome: Why ICU Survivors Struggle Long After They Leave the Hospital

Most ICU survivors are sent home and told they're lucky to be alive. But for millions of people, that's where the real struggle begins. Kali Dayton, nurse practitioner and ICU consultant, joins me to talk about Post-ICU Syndrome (PICS): the physical, cognitive, and psychological aftermath of critical illness that almost no one is warned about. We talk about why medically induced comas cause more harm than most clinicians realize, what ICU delirium actually feels like for survivors, and why the "awake and walking ICU" model is changing outcomes and saving lives. We also talk about the deep power of peer support, of having a name for what you've been through, and of knowing you are not alone in your recovery. This one is for survivors, for families, and for anyone who has ever felt like something was terribly wrong after a hospital stay that everyone else called a success. Find more about Kali's work and podcast here. [https://daytonicuconsulting.com/] If you are looking for a peer support community who gets it, join us in the Medical Trauma Support Circle. [https://your-bc-befriend.mn.co/landing/]

When Doctors Don't Believe You: One Woman's Journey Through Medical Gaslighting and Finding Her Way to Healing

You know your body. You've lived in it your whole life. So what happens when you're experiencing 23 different symptoms — some of them truly bizarre — and your doctor looks you in the eye and says, "There is nothing medically wrong with you"? In this episode, I sit down with Pam, who experienced serious, life-altering adverse effects following her COVID vaccines. What followed was a painful journey through medical gaslighting, dismissal, and the relentless search for answers — all while the political climate made it even harder to be believed. But this is also a story about what happens when you finally find the right people. A naturopathic doctor who looked Pam in the eye and said, "That is medical gaslighting, and I'm sorry." A peer support group of people who got it completely. A therapist who helped her through one of the darkest seasons of her life. Pam shares what it felt like to be dismissed, how peer support became a lifeline, what she wishes she had known earlier, and why — no matter what you're going through — firing a doctor who isn't helping you is not just okay, it's necessary. Whether you're navigating COVID vaccine injury, long COVID, a chronic illness, or any experience where you've felt unseen by the medical system, this conversation is for you. In this episode: * What medical gaslighting looks and feels like from the inside * The moment a doctor finally said "I believe you" and what that did for Pam's nervous system * How peer connection became a cornerstone of her healing * The overlap (and differences) between COVID vaccine injury and long COVID * Why it's okay to fire your doctor and find someone new * Pam's contact info for anyone who wants support navigating COVID vaccine injury

You Can Be Okay: Medical Trauma, Avoidance, and the Path Forward with Dr. Jim Jackson

Medical trauma is real. Millions of people are living with it. And most of them don't even have a name for it yet. In this episode, Sarah sits down with Dr. Jim Jackson, neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt University and author of Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma, for a deeply human conversation about what medical trauma actually looks like, why avoidance is so much more dangerous than we realize, and why you don't have to be symptom-free to live a meaningful life. Dr. Jackson has spent over 25 years working with ICU survivors, long COVID patients, and people navigating the aftermath of life-altering medical experiences. He brings both clinical expertise and his own lived experience with OCD to a conversation that is honest, warm, and genuinely hopeful. In this episode, you'll hear: * Why medical trauma is "hiding in plain sight" and what it costs people to not have a name for it * How avoidance quietly shrinks your world (and what actually helps you move through it) * What acceptance and commitment therapy offers people who can't imagine returning to medical care * The "beach ball in the pool" approach to distressing symptoms * Why shame keeps people stuck, and how to begin gently moving out of it * Jim's own story of being diagnosed with OCD and what it taught him about healing without a cure * Why post-traumatic growth isn't about gratitude, it's about finding a new opportunity Resources mentioned: * Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma by Dr. Jim Jackson (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold, including an audio version) * ICU Recovery Center at Vanderbilt University * Critical Illness Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center at Vanderbilt * Medical Trauma Support Circle: https://your-bc-befriend.mn.co/landing/ * medicaltraumasupport.org The Medical Trauma Support Podcast is a human-centered, nervous-system-informed space for anyone whose relationship with their body, safety, and trust has been shaped by medical experiences. Because your experience deserves recognition.

From Misdiagnosed and Dismissed to Reclaiming Her Voice: Deborah Weed's Medical Trauma Story

Have you ever been dismissed by a doctor, told your pain wasn't real, or watched the people you love begin to doubt you? You are not alone — and this episode is for you. Sarah sits down with Deborah Weed, founder of the Self Worth Initiative, author, artist, and creator of the upcoming musical Paisley: The Fashion Forest — a story born directly out of her own experience with medical trauma. Deborah spent three excruciating years bedridden, told by doctors she might have MS or ALS, and ultimately dismissed as making it all up. All while a grapefruit-sized tumor hidden behind her uterus was slowly hemorrhaging her body to near death. What Deborah discovered on that journey, about self-worth, the difference between self-esteem and self-worth, and the healing power of creativity, is something every survivor of medical trauma needs to hear. In this episode, you will hear: * What it felt like to be disbelieved by doctors and by the people closest to her * The difference between self-esteem and self-worth, and why losing one does not mean losing the other * How gadolinium poisoning and a mismanaged black-box antibiotic added to her medical trauma * Why she believes creativity is what saved her life — not once, but three times * The Broadway-bound musical she is building as a movement for women who have lost their voice * Sarah's vision for a peer support certification program so no one ever faces a medical procedure alone Whether you are healing from a misdiagnosis, navigating a mystery illness, supporting a loved one, or working in healthcare, this conversation will remind you: your quills grow back. So does your power. Connect with Deborah: paisleysfashionforest.com Keywords: medical trauma, misdiagnosis, dismissed by doctors, chronic illness support, medical PTSD, self-worth, mystery illness, long COVID, rare disease, reclaiming your voice, women's health, gadolinium poisoning, peer support

When the System That's Supposed to Help You Causes Harm: Medical Trauma, Endometriosis, and Healing

If you've ever left a doctor's appointment feeling worse than when you walked in — not from the news you received, but from how you were treated — this episode is for you. I sat down with Casey Berna, licensed clinical social worker, endometriosis advocate, and author of Endometriosis: From Harm to Hope, A Chronic Illness Guide, for a deeply honest conversation about medical trauma, the nervous system, and what it really means to heal. We talk about: the 7–10 year diagnostic delay so many endometriosis patients face, why gaslighting in medical settings is a form of emotional abuse, how your nervous system responds to repeated harm (and why that's not your fault), a simple nervous system regulation tool called finger breathing, the layered grief of living with chronic illness, what truly trauma-informed care looks like — from providers AND from the people in your life, and Casey's powerful message about learning to believe yourself again. Whether you're living with endometriosis, another chronic illness, or have experienced medical trauma of any kind, this conversation will remind you: your experience deserves recognition. Resources mentioned: CaseyBerna.com | @EndoSocialWorker | Endometriosis: From Harm to Hope (available at bookshop.org) | Below the Belt documentary at https://www.projectendo.org/