By Douglas Eby
3
22 ratings
The podcast currently has 114 episodes available.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES): "That dysfunction can give us the message that I am not okay."
Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning science journalist and speaker. This audio is from her video interview for the Anxiety Super Conference.
She comments about some early experiences:
"Because of that household dysfunction, our brains do a couple of really significant things: they begin to give us the message that we're not okay.
"Our little brains are so active and so busy trying to help us, but instead of saying 'My situation is not okay' - our developing brain doesn't have the wherewithal to do that - instead we go, 'I am not okay in who I am, in my body, in my being - I'm wrong, I'm terribly terribly wrong.'
"And that begins to shift the action of our nervous system, and our self-beliefs and how we see ourselves, and how we respond to ourselves in adversity for the rest of our lives."
⏩ Register free to see her full presentation: "Overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences" at the Anxiety Super Conference September 2024.
Here is a video excerpt from her presentation at the Conference:
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[Photo at top - detail from: Girl holding bear by Annie Spratt on unsplash.]
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⏩ Also learn about multiple programs by Donna Jackson Nakazawa on her site, including "Your Healing Narrative: Write-to-Heal With Neural Re-Narrating" and "Breaking Free From Trauma."
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Guided Journal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa [Amazon] [Bookshop]
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Related podcast episodes
Healthy relationships and attachment styles with Aimie Apigian, MD
How attachment styles and trauma impact our relationships - with Dr Diane Poole Heller
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"Many people in my practice are actors and performers and people who have a platform.”
Dr. Cheryl Arutt is a trauma-informed Clinical & Forensic Psychologist, Certified EMDR therapist, and specializes in trauma recovery and creative artist issues.
She finds, “A lot of times people will think that when they achieve a certain level of success, they'll feel like, Now I'll feel whole, I'll feel okay, I can relax. And what ends up happening instead is, Why am I still me? …
“And what I found in my practice with all these years is that people just keep kind of moving the goalposts and they'll achieve it.
“They'll get that great job, or the relationship or, you know, they want to have a baby. Then they have a baby, then they're stressed about the things that have to do with the baby. I refer to them as feeling states driving around looking for a place to park.”
Her site: drcherylarutt.com
This audio is an excerpt from Ep 103 - How Trauma Drives Anxiety and How to Heal With Dr. Cheryl Arutt from the More Than Anxiety Podcast by Megan Devito.
From the Show Notes by Megan Devito:
"In this episode, Dr. Cheryl Arutt joins me to discuss the deep connection between anxiety and unresolved trauma. She shares insights into how past experiences can manifest as ongoing anxiety, creating a cycle of stress and avoidance.
Dr. Arutt challenges the belief that simply managing anxiety is enough, emphasizing the importance of understanding the body's role in this struggle and sharing hope through EMDR for a life that isn't consumed by constant anxiety and vigilance.
A key focus of the episode is on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy.
Dr. Arutt explains how this therapeutic approach can help rewire the brain, allowing individuals to process traumatic memories and break free from the grip of anxiety without the need for traditional methods like exposure therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)."
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The photo is actor Paula Patton, who once commented, “You have to do the things you’re meant to do. Sometimes the thing you’re most afraid of is the thing you’re meant to do. Fear is a liar.”
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Anxiety understanding and recovery event: Anxiety Super Conference September 2024. Topic of Day 7 presentations is "Trauma and anxiety."
See more text, links and resources below.
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"Sensitive people are more prone to stress because we are picking up so much more information from the internal and external environment."
Dr. Natasha Fallahi, a mind-body health expert, functional medicine practitioner, known as “The Sensitive Doctor,” says trauma arises from overwhelm in situations when we can’t fully process and integrate our experiences.
Publisher The Shift Network writes:
"Dr. Natasha explains that trauma is essentially an experience of overwhelm that occurs anytime you’re unable to process and integrate something — then, in a maddening twist, this same trauma opens you up to absorbing more energetic information, adding to your overwhelm.
"When you can’t return to your homeostatic baseline where you feel like your true self, your mind, body, and spirit can get stuck in a liminal state of distress...
"Thankfully, there is a way to step off this treadmill and learn how to maintain an energetic balance for your uniquely sensitive system. The principles of psychoneuroimmunology hold the answer, says Dr. Natasha."
» Register free for The link between trauma & your sensitivity - a video event with Dr. Natasha Fallahi.
You will also receive information about her course "Healing Trauma for Sensitives: Harmonize Your Mind-Body-Immune System for “Micro-Trauma” starting Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
[The Shift Network notes: "You can stream the recordings and download the transcripts of all course sessions, so you never need to worry about missing live calls. You can also engage with the full community and leaders in our private online community group."]
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Julie Bjelland, LMFT, is a psychotherapist and author specializing in helping highly sensitive and neurodivergent people.
» One of her free webinars is Sensory Overload & Sensitivity.
The information page notes:
"Sensory Overload tends to be one of our biggest challenges. It is when our senses take in more information than our brain can keep up with processing.
"You might be surprised that it is often the culprit of symptoms of emotional reactivity, anxiety, irritability, sleep issues, exhaustion, and even loss of productivity, creativity, and focus.
“What makes it extra hard is that the world isn’t set up for those of us with high sensitivity."
» Also hear related podcast ep How to Live Better With Sensory Overload.
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"Both groups of people tend to get overwhelmed by environmental stimuli."
Jules De Vitto adds in a post that although both highly sensitive people (HSPs) and those with autism "may have sensory processing challenges, there are some key differences between the two conditions."
In this brief excerpt from her related podcast episode, she speaks with Robert Siegers, exploring this topic of High Sensitivity compared with Autism.
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Transpersonal Coach and Trainer for HSPs Jules De Vitto, MAEd, MSc, comments in her article "Is The Highly Sensitive Person the same as Autism Spectrum Disorder?":
"Autism is characterized by a range of symptoms, including difficulties with social interaction, repetitive behaviors, restricted interests, and sensory processing challenges.
"Some individuals with autism may have heightened sensitivity to certain sensory stimuli, while others may have a diminished sensitivity or a lack of response to certain sensory inputs."
"Although there may be some similarities between the sensory processing challenges experienced by highly sensitive individuals [HSPs] and those with autism, there are some key differences between the two conditions.
"For example, individuals with autism may have difficulty with social communication and interaction, while highly sensitive people do not necessarily have these challenges.
"Additionally, individuals with autism may display repetitive behaviors and may struggle with changes to routine, which is not a hallmark of sensory processing sensitivity."
The confusion between HSP and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), she writes, "lies in the fact that both groups of people tend to get overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.
"Those with autism may panic, act out or shut down in response to overwhelming situations, and some highly sensitive children can do the same thing when they get overstimulated."
But, she finds, "despite this overlap, ASD and HSP can be distinguished from each other based on the research that highlights their distinct differences.
“These differences have been largely supported by a study, led by Dr. Bianca Acevedo of the Neuroscience Research Institute of the University of California which analyzed 27 papers comparing high sensitivity, autism, and other conditions."
This Creative Mind Audio is an excerpt from her Highly Sensitive Humans Podcast.
She summarizes, "In today's episode, I speak with Robert Siegers exploring the "similarities, differences and overlapping traits with the purpose of opening up a dialogue around this important topic.
"We also explore the purpose and potential limitations of using labels and diagnosis. We discuss the importance of understanding neurodiversity with the intention and goal of delving into the lived experience of being highly sensitive and how it may overlap or intertwine with other diagnoses - ultimately, respecting and honouring the diversity of our human experience."
She notes that Robert is "a highly sensitive person and entrepreneur from Germany. He is the host of the Understandable podcast. On his channel, he talks about mental health topics such as high sensitivity and other neurodivergent conditions."
» Hear the full Season 2 Episode3: "Is the Highly Sensitive Person the same as Autism Spectrum" in the Podcast section of the HSH Website - see link to the website at Highly Sensitive Human Academy – "A central hub providing an abundance of resources and accredited courses for Highly Sensitive People all over the world."
Also se her full article "Is The Highly Sensitive Person the same as Autism Spectrum Disorder?" in the HSH Website.
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» Related Creative Mind Audio podcast episode: Thriving as a highly sensitive person, or autistic, or both - especially as a woman.
From my episode Notes:
Therapist and author Julie Bjelland, LMFT comments about her podcast Episode 189: Highly Sensitive, Autistic, or both? Understanding the Differences. See page on her site for the HSP and Neurodivergent Podcast.
"I discuss the differences that set autism apart from high sensitivity, particularly in women. I highlight the outdated diagnostic criteria for autism and the misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis in many women.
"We'll explore the unique characteristics of autistic women, such as the challenges of masking, the need for solitude, and the intense sensitivity across multiple senses. I also emphasize the importance of self-compassion and acceptance for autistic individuals and the need for a neurodiverse society."
Understanding Autism in Women - An Online Guide - Author Julie Bjelland, LMFT, summarizes: "This guide is important for individuals and practitioners and contains the most recent research and information we know about autism in adult women. Many sensitive women are discovering that they are also autistic because past diagnostic criteria has been inaccurate."
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“I always felt awkward and shy.” Steven Spielberg
“I wouldn’t say I have much of an outgoing personality." Idris Elba
“I’m very sensitive in real life.” Jessica Chastain
This is an audio version of one of my articles on Medium, with comments by artists, psychologists and others about high sensitivity, as well as introversion and shyness.
These are separate experiences that share some qualities, and can overlap and interact for many of us.
Actor Idris Elba commented in an interview: "I’m pretty shy. It’s interesting how people describe me because I’m not Mr Life of the Party...people get disappointed when they meet me because they expect me to be really confident and exciting and I’m like, ‘nah I’m going home now.’”
And Jessica Chastain has said:
“I’m very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying…even if it’s not appropriate.”
This tendency to react empathetically and more emotionally, such as more easily crying or being tearful, is among the qualities of highly sensitive people found by psychologist Elaine Aron and other researchers.
See more below, including link to the main article with videos, related articles and resources.
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"It is hard to change that feeling flawed piece...it's so seeped into your bones." Julie Bjelland
“Trauma results in this belief that we are different, that we’re not enough, that there’s something about us that pushes people away or that we’re too much for other people."
Trauma healing specialist Aimie Apigian, MD continues: “And so if they were to truly know us – all parts of us – then they would leave us, then they would kick us out, then they would reject us, abandon us.
"And those feelings of being abandoned and being different are so painful that our system responds in a self-protective way…”
⏩ See her video How Attachment Trauma Affects Being Our Authentic Self and How to Recover.
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How to Transform Your Inner Critic with Tim Kelley and Heather Munro Pierce
"During this hour we'll be exploring where the inner critic comes from, why you can't get rid of it and shouldn't even if you could, and how to recognize its influence in your life, work and relationships."
Tim Kelley, founder of the True Purpose Institute, and Heather Munro Pierce, Embodiment Guide and founder of the Temple Arts Institute, "teach that this relentless inner voice, or inner critic, can actually be used to help you clarify your purpose, celebrate your gifts, and refine the steps you need to take to bring your deeper vision to life." [Summary by The Shift Network.]
⏩ Free video event (Plus information about course in Sept 2024): Learn How to Transform Your Inner Critic.
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Julie Bjelland, LMFT, a psychotherapist and author specializing in high sensitivity and neurodiverse people, comments in an episode of her podcast:
"It is hard to change that feeling flawed piece...it's so seeped into your bones because it's your inner child. It's stuff that you learned with a child's brain."
From the original Show Notes: "In this conversation, Julie Bjelland and Willow McIntosh "emphasize the impact of feeling flawed and the power of self-compassion and self-acceptance."
⏩ See video: Feeling flawed as a neurodivergent child or adult - What can change that?
⏩ Hear Creative Mind Audio podcast version.
In an issue of her newsletter, she lists some notions ‘we constantly tell ourselves things such as:
I'll be worthy when I lose 20 pounds.
I'll be worthy if I get/stay sober.
I'll be worthy if everyone thinks I'm a good parent.
I'll be worthy if I can hold my marriage together.
I'll be worthy when I make more money.
I'll be worthy when my parents finally approve.
She lists suggestions of "What we should be saying to ourselves. Pick some of these and try repeating them daily to yourselves:
I love and accept myself as I am.
I know my sensitivity is needed in the world.
I allow myself to honor my needs in a loving way and rest when I need it.
I give myself the care and downtime I need to help stay at my highest level of wellness.
I practice daily self-compassion, knowing it is a part of helping me thrive."
She adds that one of her resources to "deepen your journey of self-love and acceptance" is her Blooming Brilliantly course - see list of Courses for The Sensitive & Neurodivergent.
(Like perhaps many other people, I don’t generally appreciate or use affirmations such as she suggests - but I think they’re worth thinking about, especially in terms of the quality of messages our inner voices may regularly be spouting.)
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Cathleen King says "in my experience, and in the research of the psychology of chronic pain, we often see that the pain cycle is ultimately cross wired with some type of underlying core belief such as “I’m not okay, I’m not good enough, I’m unworthy, undeserving, imperfect, unloveable, etc” that has been enmeshed with our core identity."
Cathleen King, DPT, is a "doctor of physical therapy who teaches neuroscience principles, and is a mind-body practitioner.
⏩ See her video Do you need to fix your chronic pain problems to be okay, be loved and worthy?
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"Not good enough."
Viola Davis said “At thirty-eight, things changed. I didn’t jump out of bed one morning and everything was perfect. I’ve always known I was a strong woman, but I wanted ‘fast-food joy’—quick, easy joy. More tools and tricks.
"I also could still fall back into ‘not enough—not pretty enough, not thin enough, not good enough.’
"One day my therapist asked me a pivotal question: ‘What if nothing changes—your looks, your weight, your success—would you be okay?’
“For the first time, I thought, You know what? Yes, I would. I really would.
“This is when I realized that the past was not going to define me."
Courage and Power From Pain - An Interview With Viola Davis by Brené Brown May 9, 2018.
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Mihaela Ivan Holtz, Psy.D., LMFT of Creative Minds Psychotherapy comments about judgments and perfectionism interfering with our creativity and emotional health.
She writes about being "in the flow, completely at peace with yourself and what you’re doing" and asks, "So, what takes you out of this emotional authentic space?
"It could be a comment you hear or the look in someone’s eyes as they observe something you’re doing. It might be a memory of someone telling you that you “are doing it wrong,” “ruined something,” “keep breaking things.”
And, she adds, “Your own self doubt can cause the disconnection, especially when your inner voice says things like “I’m afraid I will fail,” “people won’t like me,” or “I can’t do this.”
"These are messages of not being “good enough” keeping you stuck in the quest for perfection. The desire to be or do things “perfectly” is a mental space of fear that leaves you caught in anxiety about being wrong, making mistakes, or being flawed."
⏩ From her post (source of the featured image at top) Transform Perfectionism into Emotional Freedom with EMDR: to Connect, Create, and Achieve.
In another article, Dr Holtz writes about body shame:
"At times, your feelings about your body become the obstacles to your creativity.
"You feel filled with the imperfections of a figure full of flaws. Perhaps this is the fallout from the way you were abused, bullied, assaulted, or rejected in the past. Maybe you simply never felt you measured up to societal standards...
"At some point, the impulse to hide your body can interfere with your creative mind...EMDR therapy can heal body shame."
⏩ When Body Shame Blocks Creativity: How EMDR Helps.
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"It is hard to change that feeling flawed piece...it's so seeped into your bones because it's your inner child. It's stuff that you learned with a child's brain."
⏩ From Episode 195 Feeling Flawed of the HSP and Neurodivergent Podcast.
From the original Show Notes:
"In this conversation, Julie Bjelland and Willow McIntosh discuss the importance of accepting and embracing sensitivity and neurodivergence.
“They share personal experiences and highlight the need to normalize and celebrate these traits.
"They also emphasize the impact of feeling flawed and the power of self-compassion and self-acceptance.
“The conversation explores the connection between nature and well-being and the role of sensitive individuals in bringing balance to the world."
» Follow link above to Julie's site to find this episode 195 and page with Resources & Links including:
* One-on-one Coaching and Consultations with Julie
* Feel safe to be yourself in the world. LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC safe. Join Julie’s private, nurturing community: Sensitive Empowerment Community
* Free Autism Quiz Helping to Identify Women
* Autism Assessments for Women in California with Julie
Also see
⏩ Courses for the Sensitive and Neurodivergent
⏩ Understanding Autism in Women - An Online Guide by Julie Bjelland, LMFT
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From the video version of the podcast:
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» From original transcript:"Think about two children...one of them is getting the message that they're flawed in life and that they need to change who they are. "The other one is celebrated for who they are. They're honored, they're accepted, they're embraced. How do we think they're going to enter into the world, experience the world? "It's going to be completely different because that feeling of being flawed is like a thousand pound weight on top of you, everything that you do. It affects literally everything that you do. It prevents you from your light shining bright. "And then there are some kids who are raised with parents who are very supportive, with caretakers, with people around them. They're very supportive of their uniqueness. And those kids are so remarkable. They don't have that feeling flawed holding them back. "And I just imagine if you had that message, if I had that message that we didn't have to carry that weight. It is hard to change that feeling flawed piece. It's hard. It's like so seeped into your bones because it's your inner child. It's stuff that you learned with a child's brain."
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book: The Adventures of Niko the Highly Sensitive Dog: The Magical Portal by Julie Bjelland, LMFT (Author), Carol Huckle (Author), Barbara Dessi (Illustrator).
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Image at top is from book: Neurodivergent - Embracing Neurodiversity: Socially Acceptable Stimming Techniques for Autistic Individuals by Rick Canady
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Related Creative Mind podcast episodes
» Elizabeth Gilbert on Self Acceptance
» How self-acceptance is a foundation for a healthy and creative life
» Self Esteem and Creative People with Marisa Peer
▶️ Enjoy more episodes of The Creative Mind Audio Podcast
▶️ See more videos in Playlist: Neurodivergent & 2E
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Dr Aimie talks about “the effects of trauma on the fear of being seen for who we truly are, the fear of truly being known.
“Trauma results in this belief that we are different, that we’re not enough, that there’s something about us that pushes people away or that we’re too much for other people.
“And so if they were to truly know us – all parts of us – then they would leave us, then they would kick us out, then they would reject us, abandon us.
"And those feelings of being abandoned and being different are so painful that our system responds in a self-protective way…”
This audio is from her longer video "How To Be Your Authentic Self & Recover From Attachment Trauma" - See the video in article How attachment styles and trauma impact our lives and relationships.
https://thecreativemind.net/8392/
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View selected episodes and articles with more resources: The Creative Mind Audio Podcast page on the main site.
“I’ve taken off two months, three months at a time, and, by the end, I get really squirrelly. My night life, my dream life, gets extremely populated and crazed. It’s as though something in there is running all the time. And if it doesn’t get an outlet on the page, it comes out in the dreams.” Stephen King
"The thoughts are unstoppable - but so is the music. It comes to me constantly." Lady Gaga
"Sometimes those of us who are creatives have this greediness with ideas and I use the word greed purposely meaning we're indulging our ideas all the time. That is another form of nervous system dysregulation when you can't shut off your idea switch and just be in the present moment." Cathleen King, DPT
As a doctor of physical therapy, King teaches neuroscience principles, and is a mind-body practitioner.
Most of this Creative Mind Audio is a brief excerpt from her interview with two functional medicine doctors for their Health Babes Podcast.
The last few minutes are comments by Willow McIntosh about working with a busy creative mind as a highly sensitive person.
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video with Cathleen King - Healing the chaos in my nervous system
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Resources from Cathleen King:
Primal Trust Membership & Community - "Learn to consciously self-regulate your biology and heal."
How Healing Happens - free 127 page guide to brain retraining and nervous system somatic healing...Contains 5 self-regulation exercises."
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Health Babes Podcast #138 Somatic Healing & Nervous System Recovery with Dr. Cathleen King, hosted by Dr. Becky Campbell and Dr. Krystal Hohn.
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Willow McIntosh is the founder of Inluminance with programs for people with High Sensory Intelligence.
In this Creative Mind Audio, he comments that "Depth of processing is one of the abilities that we have [as a highly sensitive person], and that's something that can serve us and can also turn against us.
“We can turn it in on ourselves if we allow our thoughts and our minds to overprocess, and if we fall into self judgement and criticism, especially when our energy gets low...
“One of the reasons I'm passionate about this is because I have a really creative mind - my mind is incredibly busy."
His audio comments are from Highly Sensitive and Neurodivergent Podcast Episode 150: How To Manage Low Energy, Negative Thoughts, and Overprocessing.
Hear longer excerpt in post How to Manage Our Energy, Negative Thoughts, and Overprocessing as a Highly Sensitive Person.
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Photo at top: Stephen King and his dog Marlowe, by Jill Krementz in her book The Writer’s Desk. It is also used for King’s own book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
Musician and actor Lady Gaga has been open about her struggles with mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following her rape at age 19, depression, anxiety, and more.
She has talked about using prescription medicine because “I can’t control my thoughts at all." She has also said “A lot of people are afraid of medicine for their brains to help them. I really want to erase the stigma around this.”
In a 2020 interview with Oprah, she said medication "does not affect my creative process. I don't take anything that does." [But she has also talked about smoking, using cocaine, alcohol and other drugs which can and do affect our creative minds.]
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See more Substack posts and podcast episodes on emotional/mental health.
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Julie Bjelland is a psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, and author of many resources to help highly sensitive people (HSPs) worldwide.
In this excerpt of one of her podcast episodes, she is joined by Willow McIntosh, the founder of Inluminance and leader of the High Sensory Intelligence movement.
In her Show Notes, Julie Bjelland writes:
The human mind is wired to look out for us which can often mean thinking worst-case scenarios and a negative view of things.
It takes conscious effort to maintain a positive outlook for us all, which of course is not always easy.
As HSPs we sometimes have a tendency to turn our powerful cognitive processing ability in on ourselves. When this is coupled with low energy or a pattern of self-doubt and low self-esteem our own minds can quickly become a very difficult place to be.
The trouble is, it can be difficult to identify what are just low-frequency thoughts of fear and which are coming from a place of knowing and self-alignment.
In this episode, we look at some of the techniques we can use on a daily basis to help maintain a peaceful state of being, including ways in which we can create peace of mind when our energy is low.
We will also look at why we end up in conflict with ourselves when we are simply trying to find a sense of belonging and safety.
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Listen to the full podcast episode in my article How to Manage Our Energy, Negative Thoughts, and Overprocessing as HSPs.
The article includes links to resources such as the Sensitive Empowerment Community, Willow’s Coaching Program, the HSP Podcast list, and Julie's main site Sensitive Connection.
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View selected episodes and articles with more resources: The Creative Mind Audio Podcast page on the main site.
The podcast currently has 114 episodes available.