Part two of Megan and Brian's Trauma 101. Megan opens by taking a swing at the most famous trauma book on the shelf, then gets into what she's learned from 15 years of complex trauma work: why there often aren't words for it, how PTSD differs from complex PTSD, what dissociation really looks like, and how you treat trauma that happened before a kid could talk. Then the hopeful half: Positive Childhood Experiences, teaching kids the difference between a surprise and a secret, and why energy that never gets released has to come out somewhere. The takeaway is one word, said three times: community. Heads up: covers trauma, child abuse, suicide, and substance use. Frequent strong language. KEY TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:26] The Problem With "The Body Keeps the Score" [02:18] Why There Aren't Words for Trauma [03:04] Mental Health Care: As Much Art as Science [04:21] Medication Side Effects Nobody Mentions [05:47] PTSD vs. Complex PTSD [07:21] When Trauma Is Just "Normal" [08:04] Living on Cortisol: Stress, Health & Addiction [09:42] Knowing It Logically Doesn't Stop the Body [10:08] Dissociation Is a Spectrum [11:37] Megan's 15 Years in Complex Trauma Work [13:09] Preverbal Trauma & Art Therapy [14:51] PCEs: Positive Childhood Experiences [16:41] The Film "Resilience" & Who Has the Highest ACEs [17:42] Why Your Therapist Needs a Therapist [19:02] Surprises vs. Secrets [20:00] How Do You Teach Kids About Trauma? [25:43] Online Predators: Not If, but When [26:22] Two Safe Adults & Getting Involved [28:08] Community Is What Heals (and Energy Vampires) [29:36] Mutual Aid After the Tornado [31:42] Trauma 101 Recap [33:21] Why Perception Matters [34:17] Megan's Car Accident [36:50] Why Talking About It Isn't Enough [38:13] What to Do in the First 3-6 Months [39:21] Match Your Energy to Release It [40:22] Suppression, Autoimmune Disease & Panic Attacks [42:00] Big Feelings: Better Out Than In [43:55] Wrap-Up & Trauma 201 Teaser STANDOUT QUOTES "I can logically know something, and that didn't keep me from physically experiencing all the shit that I logically knew." "Shame and trauma grow in secret, and they're repeated in secret." "A surprise has an outcome that's a benefit. A secret is malicious and f****d up, and the only person that benefits is the abuser." "Big feelings are like diarrhea and vomit. They are better out than in." MEGAN'S TOOLKIT: AFTER SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS What you do in the months after matters. Three things to check: 1. Are you talking about it with safe, secure, healthy people? Not constantly, just when it comes up. A partner, a therapist, a coach, your mom. 2. Are you doing things that match your energy? High-energy, unpleasant feelings (rage, stress) don't leave through meditation. Box, run, lift, sing at the top of your lungs, scream at a train. 3. Do you have community? Two people count. If you're isolated, seek out a professional. If someone you love is isolated, you can't save them, but you can bring community to them. RESOURCES - HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences), the Tufts-based home of the Positive Childhood Experiences research: https://positiveexperience.org/ - Film: Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope: https://kpjrfilms.co/resilience/ - Book: The Body Does Not Keep the Score by Michael Scheeringa - Book: Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine - Marc Brackett's work on emotional intelligence (Permission to Feel) - Part 1 of this episode covers ACEs and fight, flight, freeze, and fawn CRISIS SUPPORT 988 - Suicide Prevention Lifeline Text HOME to 741741 - Crisis Text Line Find a Therapist: Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us Rise & Thrive Wellness: https://riseandthrivewellness.net/ CONNECT Email: ihavesh1t2say@gmail.com @ihavesh_ttosay (Instagram) | IHaveSh_tToSay (TikTok) - Host: Megan Campbell, LCPC, ATR-BC - Producer: Brian T Prairie - Operations Manager: MacKenzie Cloy New episode every two weeks on Tuesdays.