In this conversation, Teri Anderson explores the profound connection between trauma and tattoos, discussing how individuals use body art as a means of self-expression and healing. She highlights the common experiences of trauma survivors and the various ways they cope, including the use of tattoos to tell their stories. The discussion delves into the symbolism behind popular tattoo designs, the significance of memorial tattoos, and the transformative power of art in the healing process. Teri emphasizes the importance of understanding the narratives behind tattoos, encouraging listeners to see them as expressions of resilience and recovery. In this conversation, Teri Anderson explores the profound connection between tattoos and personal healing. She shares various stories behind tattoos that symbolize resilience, trauma, and recovery. The discussion emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, community, and self-expression in the healing journey. Teri highlights how tattoos serve as reminders of strength and transformation, while also addressing the emotional weight of personal experiences and the significance of shared narratives among trauma survivors. Takeaways Tattoos can represent deep, unspoken trauma. Not all tattoos are linked to pain; some celebrate joy. Art on the body can be a powerful storytelling tool. Coping mechanisms for trauma have evolved over time. There is one thing that the tattoos of trauma survivors have in common. And that is a deep.That is a deep, soul crushing pain that's either known or unknown, spoken or unspoken. Maya Angelou said, up from a past that's rooted in pain, I rise. And I think that's very true with what we see in today's culture of trauma survivors telling their stories and letting others see exactly. how they're feeling. We're reclaiming our bodies. We're reclaiming our thoughts. We are reclaiming our identities. Before I go any further, I want to say that not all tattoos are rooted in pain. Not all tattoos are rooted in trauma. but for those of us that have chosen to wear our stories. That's the case. In past decades, the survivors of trauma dealt with their trauma. through a lot of different coping mechanisms, including avoidance, substance abuse, seeking social support, religious practices, rituals, creative outlets, sometimes therapy, but therapy wasn't always. Therapy was pretty much a stigma in past decades. In today's culture, with tattoos being more prevalent, and the stigma of self-harm. being so heavy. Many of us have chosen to tell our stories. through the art on our bodies. Teri Anderson (05:10.688) And I wanted in the past, the past episode, we talked a lot about the correlation between trauma. We spoke a lot about the core. I spoke a lot. I spoke a lot about the correlations there are between trauma and tattoos. Here we are in 2025. My traumas started in 1962, the year I was born. A lot of them were seared into my soul and I didn't know what they were. I had no idea what they were. But I wanted to go through in this episode here and kind of show you some of these. So you'll be aware if you see someone with some of these tattoos, you're be able to put it together and you're gonna be able to say, oh my gosh, I know what that means instead of, oh my gosh, that's trash. That was totally stupid. It might give you a little better understanding at some of the pain and some of the situations that we've gone through that have really been bigger and heavier than we have been able to carry alone. I think in some instances we do tell our story. in some instances, in some instances, in some situations. We are using tattooing. so we don't harm. so we don't do anything that will harm our bodies and leave a scar filled with stigma. So I'm gonna go through several resources here. I've got some pages pulled up here on the web that I'm gonna try and screen share with you guys. Some of the stories that people have that have survived their traumas. how they chose to represent themselves. and the meaning of the symbols that we see inked into the skin of people all around us. I guess first I wanted to read something to you from this incredible book that I found and I'll link it in the show notes below. It is called Tattoo Monologues Indelible Marks on the Body and Soul. I'll put the author's names in the show notes as well as the photographer's name. I'm not sure if I'll use any of these filters or not to make a point, but there are a lot of things that I would like to. touch on in this book. Teri Anderson (09:02.08) And one of the reasons I think if you're contemplating If you're trying to put your trauma together with your ink. I think this book might be very helpful, especially for women. Teri Anderson (09:23.509) One of the things in here. for praise for tattoo monologues is tattoo monologue sends a powerful message to tattoo trauma survivors like me, like you. We don't have to cover or we don't have to cower in the shame of our trauma. We don't have to hide our ink. They are a part of our stories. I find that very, very true. And as I said in the last episode, I don't see trauma or I don't see people with tattoos and think, my God. I see trauma. Sometimes I see beautiful art and I have some that are just beautiful art. But the ones that you see mainly on me that are the black and gray, those are trauma. I didn't know it at the time. I was trying to survive a horrible, horrible situation, horrible memories. But I wanted to go through some of the different, as I said, some of the different tattoos that we see. Teri Anderson (10:40.192) in Trauma survivors. Let me see if I can share this screen. Teri Anderson (11:08.928) Okay, this screen is from themighty.com. 23 tattoos that represent healing from childhood trauma. Now, of course, here we have the beautiful Phoenix. Teri Anderson (11:31.766) And I think that that pretty much relates with what my Angela was speaking about rising. from a pain, from a. rising up from a pain that's rising up from a past that's rooted in pain Teri Anderson (11:56.718) From Maya Angelou's quote that I read earlier, up from a past that's rooted in pain, I rise. You're gonna see a lot of phoenixes. I know many people that have a phoenix. I considered one myself. And this tattoo right here that we have, this young woman, is a beautiful colorful phoenix. We can only see it in part there on her back. Teri Anderson (12:28.183) in what she has. All right, let's go into this next one, this black and white. Teri Anderson (12:39.5) or black and gray, my phoenix still in progress is a symbol of my strength, of how many times I've risen from the absolutely horrible medical circumstances that have both altered the course of my life and nearly taken my life. But I survived because of the fire inside. The fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me. I think a lot of you might be able to identify with that. Now she says that this tattoo is still in progress. I will put this link in the show notes and it, like I said, it's the mighty.com, mental health, childhood trauma and tattoos. So she went full out back piece. I don't know, it's not saying if this was her first tattoo. But generally, I have found, it's not always the case, when someone goes in, go big or go home, there's trauma, there's a story there. And sometimes, you know, a little tiny space the size of a quarter can't really fill, in my case, 62 years. of dealing with trauma and this discovery of trauma. Teri Anderson (14:10.062) All right, the next one that we come to is a semicolon. Teri Anderson (14:31.264) is a semicolon. And the semicolon I think is pretty unique. I had considered one. Teri Anderson (14:43.084) And I still might do that. I'm going to have to find a unique way to deal to do that. But the semi-colon basically says, my story is not over. This woman is saying, it seems odd, but I distinctly remember reading a book about. What the hell? That's a totally different one. Teri Anderson (15:06.082) the semicolon, a lot of times is saying to remember every time I wanted to give up. Teri Anderson (15:16.852) every time I almost gave up and even when I tried to that I got through everything that had happened. Not only was it difficult but I experienced it as a child. It's a constant reminder to keep fighting and never forget what's brought me where I am now. Teri Anderson (15:45.55) And that is the semicolon. Teri Anderson (16:00.696) The semicolon. And you're going to see that on a lot, mainly women. I've seen it on women more than I have seen it on men. There are a lot of different tattoos that symbolize trauma or what people have gone through in their lives and trying to be the better person, trying to understand, trying to... Teri Anderson (16:32.916) Almost we have felt invisible for so long. We're not going to be invisible anymore. We felt forgotten. Teri Anderson (16:45.056) in ways that think few people can understand. Teri Anderson (16:53.262) So this person was talking about, they remembered reading a book about forests and forest fires when they were a child and learning how the ecosystem recovered after a fire. I read that some trees' would only successfully plant and germinate after a large fire hot enough to open whatever structure the tree used to contain its seeds. Teri Anderson (17:34.4) And as a little bit of a, you know, that just reminded me of something. I was on a motorcycle one day with, we do this run. My friend Brian holds it every year. It's the St. Helens Memorial Motorcycle Run. And one thing that really struck me on the first time, one of the first times I went up was the devastation. that was caused in 1980 by this volcanic eruption that took many lives and left miles and miles of damage. In between the burnt trees, they're still out there charred 40 something years later. There's new growth. There are flowers. There's beauty. And I think that really speaks to why some
