Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories | Psychotherapy, Trauma, and Psychedelics

Craig Heacock MD
  • 4.9 (510)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Monthly

Back from the Abyss will change the way you think about psychiatric illness. Instead of dwelling on diagnoses and treatment theories, you hear patients tell their stories of how they fell into darkness-- and how they found their way back. It's intimate, psychologically rich, medically interesting, sometimes heartbreaking, often irreverent, and ultimately hopeful.  Join psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock as he hosts this deep dive into powerfully moving stories of hope and healing, as well as topical explorations of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and psychedelics.

  1. 2d ago

    The legacy of institutionalization-- Orphanages, attachment trauma, borderline personality disorder, and C-PTSD

    This is the story of Milena, starting with her early years in a Bulgarian orphanage, then the hope and promise of being adopted by an American family, and finally the emerging and increasingly ominous consequences of early attachment trauma and institutionalization. Adoption is complicated and multi-layered….and the unforeseen consequences of adoption can play out over a lifetime.  Milena thought she had won the golden ticket out of the orphanage and into a new life in America, but after the initial honeymoon period, the deeper reality of what it means to spend the first 5 years of life in an institutional setting began to swallow her up and tear her apart.  Support the show Elemental Psychedelics https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ Support the show

  2. Sep 11

    Psychiatric Illness in Parallel-- Bipolar vs Schizoaffective Disorder, Genes vs Environment, Insight vs Anosognosia

    In this season 8 opener Rosy shares both her experience recovering from bipolar disorder and the heartbreak of watching her beloved son begin to show signs of an even more extreme form of bipolar disorder called schizoaffective disorder. This is a story in parallel, two lives deeply intertwined, yet also slowly tearing apart as her son’s illness became increasingly severe. Support the show Elemental Psychedelics https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ Support the show

  3. Aug 14

    Summer Special Part 2-- Laura Mae Northrup and her treatment journey

    In this second of two parts, Laura Mae Northrup shares stories of how she found a healing path through connection, therapy, and psychedelics.  Support the show Laura Mae Northrup https://www.lauramaenorthrup.com/ Elemental Psychedelics https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ Support the show

  4. Jul 31

    BFTA Summer Special: Healing sexual trauma with psychedelics and entheogens-- Laura Mae Northrup shares her journey

    This is the first of a two part summer special with Laura Mae Northrup, who was first featured in the original BFTA summer special back in 2022. In this first episode, in an excerpt from her wonderful podcast called Inside Eyes, we hear Laura describe her long and grueling battle with suicidality, which emerged as a result of childhood sexual abuse. In the second episode in two weeks, Laura and Dr. H dive deep into her personal healing journey— what worked, what didn’t, and how she was able to finally put her chronic suicidality to rest.  Support the show Laura Mae Northrup https://www.lauramaenorthrup.com/ Elemental Psychedelics https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ Support the show

  5. May 15

    Season 7 Wrap-up...plus a farewell and a big change coming for BFTA

    After seven years and so many powerful stories, Craig announces a tectonic shift in the BFTA plates. Support the show!  https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support Closing song-- "Come and go" by Timber Choir Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/ "I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ Support the show

  6. May 1

    Complex PTSD vs Classic PTSD-- Medical trauma and MDMA assisted therapy

    Amidst a long catalog of previous BFTA stories featuring complex or developmental PTSD, today’s story is one of classic DSM-style PTSD, it’s a story of both medical and parenting trauma, of facing the fear of annihilation and death.  In this three part story,  first we hear Tracy tell of the increasingly severe medical challenges of her children, then Tracy flashes back to describe her own terrifying emergency hospitalization as a 5 year old, then finally we trace Tracy’s treatment journey through traditional psychotherapy and eventual MDMA-assisted therapy as she tries to find a way to calm her nervous system and find peace. Support the show!  https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/ "I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/ Support the show

  7. Apr 17

    The Hidden Minefield of Positive Countertransference

    In this solo episode Dr. H shares his thoughts on the unexpected risks of feeling too much positive energy and/or identification with a patient.  This talk is also a sneak preview into the workshop that Dr. H teaches with Dr. Hillary McBride called "I Love You I Hate You...Are You My Mom?' Support the show!  https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/ "I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ Support the show

  8. Apr 3

    The gasoline and the match— Bipolar disorder, THC, and manic activation

    Today’s story is one of genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, and finally a psychiatric flame thrower.  Whitney’s uncle had a particularly severe form of bipolar disorder and she too began to develop mood instability and depression as an adolescent. When we think of environmental triggers for mania, we tend to think of sleep deprivation, substances, and the postpartum period. And through her 20s and 30s, Whitney began to have more serious bouts of hypomania during times of sleep deprivation or in her postpartum periods. But it took an increasingly severe weed habit to bring her to the horrors of mania with psychosis.  Support the show!  https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/ "I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/ Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers. The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast. https://bfta-codex.org BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/ Support the show

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4.9
out of 5
510 Ratings

About

Back from the Abyss will change the way you think about psychiatric illness. Instead of dwelling on diagnoses and treatment theories, you hear patients tell their stories of how they fell into darkness-- and how they found their way back. It's intimate, psychologically rich, medically interesting, sometimes heartbreaking, often irreverent, and ultimately hopeful.  Join psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock as he hosts this deep dive into powerfully moving stories of hope and healing, as well as topical explorations of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and psychedelics.

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