September 11, 2024 • 27 mins
Patreon Link
Follow on IG
Facebook
What if breaking the cycle of trauma could change not just your life but the lives of future generations? Join us on this profound journey as we kick off season seven of Wednesdays with Watson, marking four years of commitment to confronting trauma and supporting those affected. We celebrate our achievements, including over 130 episodes that have made a tangible difference, from aiding families impacted by domestic violence to providing scholarships for counseling. This season pays tribute to the wisdom of Mama Bootsy and underscores God's unwavering faithfulness in our darkest times. I also share my quest for a doctorate to deepen our impact and introduce you to the courageous cycle breakers determined to end the cycle of trauma.
Dive into the harrowing reality of trauma's prevalence and its long-term impact on mental health. We'll discuss the gut-wrenching statistics and personal stories of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault, shedding light on the underreporting of abuse, especially among men, and the crippling role of shame. Discover the alarming correlation between early trauma and later substance abuse, and learn why comprehensive support systems are crucial for healing. Through diverse perspectives, including voices from the LGBTQ+ community, we aim to foster understanding, hope, and healing for all. And as always, we reflect on the continuous need for divine support, celebrating God's steadfast presence as our fortress and comforter in times of need.
"Every Hour" by Josh Baldwin used by permission
Wednesdays With Watson-Season 7 Trailer
Wednesdays With Watson Wednesdays With Watson
"Every Hour" by Josh Baldwin (4:19)
Youtube Creator / Podcaster
No client or brand/company work
Standard Coverage - Web / Social Media (Up to 1 million subscribers), Podcast (Up to 10k monthly downloads)
Included September 6, 2024
You ARE:
SEEN KNOWN HEARD LOVED VALUED
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's every hour, every day.
Oh, I need you, lord, and thatwill never change.
Faithful is he who calls youwho will also do it.
1 Thessalonians 5.9.
Hey everyone, and welcome back.
(00:34):
I don't know about you, but Ihave missed interacting with you
online over the last couplemonths as we have put the
podcast on hiatus.
As you will learn today, I'vegot a bunch going on, but
welcome back to the Wednesdayswith Watson podcast.
This is season seven, which isreally hard for me to believe,
if I'm being honest with youwhen I think about the last four
years and what we've been ableto accomplish and by we I mean
(00:56):
Jesus using me and thismicrophone, and those of you who
have walked alongside with me.
Just a little step back, justfor a second, before we begin
this new season.
Over the last four years, wehave been on a mission to
confront trauma.
We've been on a mission to helppeople understand it Lots of
you walking around with traumaand comparing your trauma with
(01:17):
other people and notunderstanding why you feel the
way you do, and so we spend timetalking about it so that we can
understand trauma.
We also spend time talkingabout it so that we can live
with people who have experiencedtrauma and help them in their
walk.
Over the last four years, guys,we have published over 130
podcast episodes.
More importantly, we havehelped four families and won
(01:40):
each of those four years atChristmas time and, as a matter
of fact, I lost my personalFacebook page over the last one
Because Facebook thought that wewere doing something bad, but
either way, we were able tosupport that family.
So we have been able to supportfour families with your support
at Christmas time, particularlythose families that have been
(02:01):
affected by domestic violence.
We have distributed thousandsof dollars in scholarship money
to people who cannot affordcounseling, but none of this
would be possible without yoursupport and your engagement.
Even listening to this podcastjust keeps me encouraged and
helps us on our mission.
Your role on this mission iscrucial and we're grateful for
(02:22):
your continued listenership andparticipation.
I will provide the Patreon linkin the show notes if you wish to
support this mission.
I am so thankful for mysupporters and I want everyone
to know that money donatedthrough the Patreon is not
invested into the podcast cost,but rather the show's mission,
which is to help people heal andthrive, and that is awarding
(02:44):
these scholarships to people whoare motivated for help and
can't afford counseling.
I am filled with gratitudebecause tens of thousands of
people from all over the worldhave listened over the last four
years, and I am humbled becauseI realized and I surrender to
the responsibility of thismicrophone and I remain tethered
to that verse that I love somuch in Psalm 45.1.
(03:06):
My heart is stirred by a nobletheme as I recite verses for my
king.
My tongue is the pen of askillful writer.
May it continue to be thatpeople find hope and help here
as we continue our mission,because the father of lies has
many of us caught up in his game, since seduction and deception
(03:29):
are two of his greatest tools.
We desire that you learn how toresist the devil by learning
his game and walking with Jesus,the star of all of our stories.
And if you don't believe inJesus, that's okay, hang around,
because this podcast is foreveryone.
The fact of the matter is isthat all of my life he has been
(03:50):
faithful, and it would beimpossible for me to talk about
how trauma has impacted overtime without highlighting the
faithfulness of God and how hehasn't missed any of it, and how
he hasn't missed any of it.
As many of you know, mama Bootsypassed away in January of this
(04:10):
year and for those of you whodon't know who that is, that is
someone who just came into mylife, in my mid 30s, who said I
will be what you never had.
And she passed away in Januaryand we're still very much
grieving that.
But she used to say somethingthat I want to pass along to you
when we would talk to her aboutthings that were difficult and
sufferings that we were goingthrough, she would tell us God
(04:31):
is not up there wringing hishands up in heaven over this.
He knows what's going on.
I love, love, love thatstatement by her and I think
about it often.
But for many of you and for mesometimes, this is why your
heart is broken, because youdon't understand God and you
don't understand how he couldallow things to happen.
(04:52):
I hope this season of thepodcast helps you with that,
because none of us understandall of the things.
But one thing is for sure isthat suffering that we
experience in this life waspromised by Jesus.
We see that in all four Gospels, but particularly in John 16,
33.
And our suffering in light ofeternity is found in 2
Corinthians, 4, 17 and 18 is buta momentary light of affliction
(05:17):
.
I love the Shane and Shane song, where John Piper comes in and
says it wasn't meaningless.
Your suffering is notmeaningless Because you guys,
you see, god is always here.
And so, as we walk through thisseason, I want to continue that
, even though your life may notlook perfect and you may have
suffered some pain all of ourlives, he has been faithful.
(05:39):
During these last four years,and particularly in the last
year, I began pursuing adoctorate degree, and that is in
large part because of thispodcast.
I realized that, my voice beingheard across this world, on six
continents, that it was vitallyimportant that I provide the
richest experience with usableknowledge that I can pass on to
(06:00):
you.
I'm at the end of that journey,and by that I mean I have to
start.
I have to write thedissertation, and so during this
podcast season, you will bewalking with me as I research
and complete that dissertation.
So I hope that you will comealong for the ride, if for no
other reason, for that, as I'msure some episodes will be
influenced by it.
(06:21):
During this season we will talkabout cycle breakers.
Those are people who stand upto say the trauma stops with me.
We started this podcast and wenamed that first season PTSD
Jesus and me.
I began telling parts of mystory and if you haven't heard
that season, look in the shownotes for easy access to that
entire season.
But you see, I never set out tobreak cycles, but that is what
(06:45):
God equipped me to do and that'swhat made me think of that
verse that I opened the podcastwith faithful is he who calls
you who will also do it.
And so I stand strong and Ishout to the one who wants to
steal from me, who wants to killand who wants to destroy an
enemy that is bound by Jesus,and who wants to destroy an
enemy that is bound by Jesus hehas already won that war.
(07:07):
And I scream to the top of mylungs.
The trauma stops with me.
I will spend the rest of mylife breaking cycles and
teaching others to do the same,primarily by highlighting the
star of the story, who is Jesus,the first, the last, the
all-powerful king who will oneday make, as CS Lewis says, all
(07:28):
of the sad things untrue.
He will make all things new.
We see that in the book ofRevelation.
This season, we will focus onmicro-segments of the population
and how they experience trauma.
We will focus on differenttrauma and recovery treatments
specific to each population.
We will talk about significantglobal events that happened in
(07:50):
their lifetime and so, as you'vecome to expect, there will be
experts as well and we'llimplement some of what I have
learned in my doctoral pursuit.
As I mentioned, we willhighlight generational trauma as
part of that cycle breakerseries.
We will speak to members ofeach generation before we begin
the cycle breaker series thesilent generation, which is the
(08:11):
oldest living generation, exceptfor a small representation of
the greatest generation, andunfortunately I've not been able
to find a guest for that.
I would love, love, love tohave a generation, the greatest
generation.
But I do have representationsfrom the silent generation, the
baby boomers, generation X,millennials, gen Z and, yes,
(08:32):
even Generation Alpha, and we'regoing to watch how trauma has
been viewed and over the yearsand how we have gotten better,
or have we?
We will see.
I want to know what significantglobal events happened during
their lifetime.
How did it affect theirhousehold?
Where were they Like, forexample, for the silent
generation, when we dropped theatomic bomb on Japan?
(08:54):
Or how did they experience thedepression?
Generation X probably has themost experience across
technological spectrums and soon, and so with some of these
progressive things that camethrough the generations came an
increase of potency for trauma.
But we know trauma is not new,and so it's going to be really
(09:15):
cool to examine and investigate,starting with someone born in
1933, all the way up to someoneborn like the 2015-16 type error
.
And so how was mental healthviewed through these generations
?
I will do some research aboutthat, as well as interviews, and
inform you about mental healthtreatment during those times,
(09:37):
and we'll talk about how, or ifthere is a difference between
generations and what, ifanything, needs to change.
I think that we will identifytrends as we move through the
generations and we will landwhere we are now as a society
and we will park there as weexamine how we can do better as
people that are suffering theills of some trauma, and
(09:57):
literally everyone on the planetwas traumatized by the COVID-19
pandemic.
I will continue this podcastbecause, if statistics tell us
anything, here are somestatistics for you on some of
the most known traumas.
Now, some of you have traumasthat I will not mention here,
and I am not belittling thosetraumas.
These are the main ones Childabuse, according to the US
(10:20):
Department of Health and HumanServices, in 2021, approximately
one in seven childrenexperienced child abuse and
neglect.
The National Child Abuse andNeglect Data System reported
over 600,000 children werevictims of abuse and neglect in
2021.
Those children are going tobecome adults and if we don't
(10:43):
intervene that now and helpingchildren who are experiencing
child abuse and I'm looking atyou, church leaders, I'm looking
at you, teachers, I'm lookingat anyone who has access to
children outside of their homewhere they may be getting hurt
one out of every seven childrenthat's that's about 15% of
children in this country areexperiencing some sort of child
(11:05):
abuse and or neglect in thepreceding 12 months.
That is why we will continuethis podcast.
Some of you were that child, Iwas that child, and if we don't
pay attention to child abuse andall that it does to us, it will
affect us later in life, as itdid me.
(11:28):
The statistics also prove thatthose who've experienced child
abuse are more likely to go onand experience domestic violence
, which was my story.
The National Coalition AgainstDomestic Violence estimates that
about one in four women and onein nine men have been severely
or physically abused by anintimate partner.
I would argue that thatstatistic about men is probably
higher because men are lesslikely to report intimate
(11:50):
partner abuse.
The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention reported that
approximately one in three womenand one in four men have some
form of physical violence, andso those two organizations are a
little bit different, and Ithink that one in four men have
experienced some sort ofphysical violence by an intimate
partner is important.
In a 2021 survey of the Centersfor Disease Control, around 10%
(12:14):
of adults reported experiencingphysical violence, including
hitting, beating or pushing byan intimate partner in their
lifetime, or pushing by anintimate partner in their
lifetime.
And so we talk about childabuse, we talk about domestic
violence.
These numbers are not goingdown as we have gotten quote
better about paying attention tothem, and so that is why I will
continue to get behind thismicrophone.
(12:36):
Those who have experienced childabuse also are more likely to
go on and experience sexualassault.
According to the NationalSexual Assault Research Center,
approximately one in five womenand one in 75 men in the United
States have been raped at somepoint in their lives, and I
would again argue that the onein 71 men is probably inaccurate
, because men are less likely toreport because of the shame.
(12:58):
And I'll park there for asecond because, remember, shame
threatens to steal everythingfrom us.
Shame makes us think that weare defined by the event, that
we're defined by the mistake, ifyou will, and of course, a rape
survivor has not made a mistake, but shame still exists.
Shame says I am the event, notthat the event happened to me,
(13:21):
right, and so we will stay onthis microphone.
Because of the sexual assaultprevalence in this country, the
Rape and Abuse and IncestNetwork reports that every 68
seconds, so this podcast willprobably be about 30 minutes
long.
30, approximately 30 people inAmerica will have been sexually
(13:44):
assaulted just while you'relistening to this podcast.
Many instances of sexual assaultgo unreported.
As I just mentioned, the Bureauof Justice and Statistics
indicates that only about 25% ofsexual assaults are reported to
the police.
Factors influencingunderreporting include fear of
not being believed, concerns ofprivacy and fear of retaliation.
(14:06):
Sexual assault affects peopleacross all demographics, but
certain groups are at higherrisk.
For instance, young adults 18to 24 are at higher risk, with a
significant number of theseassaults occurring in college
settings.
The LBGTQ plus community andindividuals with disabilities
also face elevated risk ofsexual violence and, by the way,
(14:27):
it will be my goal to get amember of the LGBTQ plus
community on the podcast thisthis season to talk about how
they experienced trauma, because, while most of my guests will
believe in the star of the storyof Jesus and maybe I'll get an
LGBTQ plus guest on here whobelieves in the star of the
story, which will be confusingto a lot of us but I want their
(14:51):
perspective, and so that's whatthis season is going to look
like.
This is not going to bepreaching to the same choir,
preaching in the same room.
We want to get other voicestalking about some of these
things.
Another thing that we face alot when trauma is present is
depression and anxiety, and thatis why I will continue to stay
behind this microphone.
According to the NationalInstitute of Mental Health, in
(15:12):
2021, approximately 8.4% ofadults in the United States
experience a major depressiveepisode in the past year.
And let me describe a majordepressive episode and this is
where the budding Dr Watsoncomes in.
This is people who stay in bed23 hours a day.
They isolate, they don't takecare of their daily living
(15:35):
activities, they don't take careof themselves.
Major depressive episodes 8.4%and I believe that this is
probably going to continue to behigher, as we see what COVID
did to us.
The National Center for HealthStatistics reported that
approximately 17% of adultsexperience symptoms of
depression at some point intheir life and, of course, this
(15:56):
ranges by gender and ethnicity.
Women are generally more likelyto experience depression than
men.
For example, in 2021, about10.5% of women and 6.2% of men
reported having a majordepressive episode.
Younger adults right now havethe higher rates of depression
compared to older age groups,and about 15.5% of them
(16:19):
experience a major depressiveepisode in 2021.
So we have our work cut out forus.
This is why I will stay behindthis microphone is because these
things continue to be a problemand people continue to need
tools to live through them byway of stories, by way of
focusing on microcosms of theentire population, as we're
(16:41):
going to do this entire season,starting with generational
trauma and how trauma isexperienced by different people
in different generations, but weare going to poke our head in
different populations all overthe place, so that there is
something this season foreveryone, even if you don't
believe in the start of thestory.
The last thing is anxiety thatI want to talk about and the
(17:03):
reason why I will stay behindthis microphone because anxiety
is a thing and those of you whoexperience it.
I want to give you tools by wayof story, by way of hope, by
way of education of how tohandle anxiety.
The National Institute ofMental Health reports that
approximately 19.1 percent ofadults in the United States
experience an anxiety disorderin the past year, and this
(17:24):
figure holds various types ofanxiety disorders, such as
generalized anxiety disorder,panic disorder, social anxiety
disorder and other specificphobias.
Finally, I will stay behindthis microphone because of the
prevalence of substance abuse,and we know I talk to people at
work all the time.
When they come for help, andparticularly when they come for
(17:46):
detox help, I look at them inthe eye and, if they're able, I
asked them pretty much, whathappened to you?
Because we don't see substanceabuse without trauma and if we
do, it's very, very, very, verysmall portion of the population
of people who have substanceabuse.
They are trying to to numbsomething and we'll talk about
that.
(18:07):
We'll talk to people who areabused to drugs and alcohol, or
who were and who are, and howtrauma has, how they experienced
trauma, but according to the2022 National Survey on Drug Use
, approximately 16.5% ofAmericans aged get this, guys.
12 and older 12 and older Pausethere for a second had a
(18:32):
substance disorder in the pastyear.
The opioid crisis, of course,the epidemic has been a major
concern.
In 2021, the CDC reportednearly 107,000 drug overdoses
that occurred in the UnitedStates, with opioids being
responsible for 75% of that, andso the misuse of prescription
(18:54):
opioids, heroin, syntheticopioids like fentanyl has driven
a major overdose death.
Fentanyl, in particular, hasbeen a major factor due to the
potency and increasing presencein the drug supply, and every
day when I go to work, guys, Iam seeing fentanyl destroy lives
, and so that is why we willstay behind this microphone.
That is why we will speak topeople who suffer substance
(19:15):
abuse disorder and how theyexperience trauma, and both
sides of that.
People who are currently using,the people who are in recovery.
Finally, and probably mostimportantly, I want to talk to
you about that I will staybehind this microphone and
highlight different microcosmsof the population.
Because of suicide rates.
This makes my heart the saddest.
(19:37):
As a survivor of a suicideattempt, I remember being that
desperate to simply not want tobe on this planet.
I think that the COVID-19pandemic has probably made it
even more difficult for us toget out in front of suicidal
ideations, particularly suicidalideations with a plan, and then
, of course, those people aredying by suicide.
(19:58):
According to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention
in 2021,.
According to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention
in 2021, the age-adjustedsuicide rate in the United
States was approximately 14 per100,000 individuals, which is
1.4% and represents a slightincrease from previous years,
reflecting an ongoing concern.
Suicide is the leading cause ofdeath in the United States,
(20:19):
ranking 12th.
Okay, I want to stop there fora second.
Suicide is a leading cause ofdeath in the United States,
ranking 12th overall.
It is the second leading causeof death in those 10 to 34, 10
years old guys 10 years old andso these are reasons why I'm
(20:46):
going to stay behind thismicrophone.
These are, these are ourenvironments and people that I'm
going to highlight, and howthey experience trauma and how
their story might be able tohelp somebody else on the other
side of this microphone or thatmicrophone walk through their
trauma, and so it's going to bea fun season.
By the end of the season,hopefully, you all will be
calling me Dr Watson, I presume.
(21:06):
Of course, we have to add there, but these are just a few
targets for our season.
As is customary with this show,the season will evolve because
we will remain open-minded aboutthe populations of interest.
As I mentioned, we will havesomeone from the LBGTQ plus
community here, as well as otherpeople like that who don't
believe in Jesus but can help usunderstand how they experience
(21:31):
trauma and, more importantly,how they live with trauma.
This is going to be a fun rideand it all starts in two weeks.
Remember to like, follow orsubscribe the podcast.
Wherever you listen to podcastsor at WednesdaysWithWatsoncom,
you can follow me on Instagramand you'll also get content
there.
We are so excited about thisnew season.
(21:53):
If you want us to focus on aparticular population, I would
love to hear from you.
Use that feature in the shownotes and send us a text message
.
That message only comes to me,so it will be held confidential.
Here's the thing, guys.
God is faithful, just like Iopened up the podcast with.
He is not up in heaven wringinghis hands over our pain.
He can be trusted with ourdeepest pain, deepest pain, and
(22:30):
he stands ready to walk with youthrough it or sit in it.
If that's the season you findyourself Every single hour.
He is faithful and that willnever change.
Everyone under the sound of myvoice is an image bearer, and
regardless of how you choose tolive your life, nothing changes
that promise.
He stands ready to help us withour pain.
(22:52):
He stands ready to answer ourindicting questions.
He stands ready to be the Lordand Savior of our broken, broken
lives.
And so I am excited to bringthis season to you, as we just
continue to punch trauma in themouth and say not today, not me,
(23:15):
not my life.
It stops with me.
And I am going to go on andtell people about how faithful
God has been All of my life.
And you have access to thatsame God.
And if you do not know him andyou want to know him, use that
(23:37):
same feature, that textmessaging feature or Instagram
DM, and I would love tointroduce you to the star of the
story.
So we will be back in two weekswith our first episode, which
should be an episode with MomMcGowan representing the silent
generation.
It's going to be a ride, andI'm so glad that you have joined
(23:58):
me for it, and so until nexttime, you know what I'm going to
say.
You are seen, you are known,you are heard, you are loved and
you are so, so valued.
See you guys in two weeks.
In every way, oh, I need you,lord, and that will never change
(24:36):
.
Oh, that will never change.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, you're afortress, you're my hiding place
(24:59):
, you're the shelter where I amsafe.
You have freed me, you havecalled me by name, my redeemer,
my saving grace.
Every hour of every day, oh, Ineed you, lord, and that will
(25:29):
never change.
I need you Lord, and that willnever change.
Every moment, in every way, oh,I need you, lord, and that will
never change.
Faithful, that's who you areMore than able to care for my
(25:59):
heart.
Father and friend, there tillthe end.
You are faithful, oh, god, oh,and faithful, that's who you are
(26:19):
More than able to care for myheart.
Father and friend, there to theend.
You are faithful, oh God, andevery hour and every day, oh, I
(26:49):
need you Lord, and that willnever change.
Every moment, in every way, oh,I need you, lord, and that will
never change.
Oh, that will never change.
(27:09):
Oh, that will never change.
Yeah, that will never change.
Oh, that will never change.
Thank you.
It's every hour, every day.
Oh, I need you, lord, and thatwill never change.
Faithful is he who calls youwho will also do it.
1 Thessalonians 5.9.
Hey everyone, and welcome back.
(00:34):
I don't know about you, but Ihave missed interacting with you
online over the last couplemonths as we have put the
podcast on hiatus.
As you will learn today, I'vegot a bunch going on, but
welcome back to the Wednesdayswith Watson podcast.
This is season seven, which isreally hard for me to believe,
if I'm being honest with youwhen I think about the last four
years and what we've been ableto accomplish and by we I mean
(00:56):
Jesus using me and thismicrophone, and those of you who
have walked alongside with me.
Just a little step back, justfor a second, before we begin
this new season.
Over the last four years, wehave been on a mission to
confront trauma.
We've been on a mission to helppeople understand it Lots of
you walking around with traumaand comparing your trauma with
(01:17):
other people and notunderstanding why you feel the
way you do, and so we spend timetalking about it so that we can
understand trauma.
We also spend time talkingabout it so that we can live
with people who have experiencedtrauma and help them in their
walk.
Over the last four years, guys,we have published over 130
podcast episodes.
More importantly, we havehelped four families and won
(01:40):
each of those four years atChristmas time and, as a matter
of fact, I lost my personalFacebook page over the last one
Because Facebook thought that wewere doing something bad, but
either way, we were able tosupport that family.
So we have been able to supportfour families with your support
at Christmas time, particularlythose families that have been
(02:01):
affected by domestic violence.
We have distributed thousandsof dollars in scholarship money
to people who cannot affordcounseling, but none of this
would be possible without yoursupport and your engagement.
Even listening to this podcastjust keeps me encouraged and
helps us on our mission.
Your role on this mission iscrucial and we're grateful for
(02:22):
your continued listenership andparticipation.
I will provide the Patreon linkin the show notes if you wish to
support this mission.
I am so thankful for mysupporters and I want everyone
to know that money donatedthrough the Patreon is not
invested into the podcast cost,but rather the show's mission,
which is to help people heal andthrive, and that is awarding
(02:44):
these scholarships to people whoare motivated for help and
can't afford counseling.
I am filled with gratitudebecause tens of thousands of
people from all over the worldhave listened over the last four
years, and I am humbled becauseI realized and I surrender to
the responsibility of thismicrophone and I remain tethered
to that verse that I love somuch in Psalm 45.1.
(03:06):
My heart is stirred by a nobletheme as I recite verses for my
king.
My tongue is the pen of askillful writer.
May it continue to be thatpeople find hope and help here
as we continue our mission,because the father of lies has
many of us caught up in his game, since seduction and deception
(03:29):
are two of his greatest tools.
We desire that you learn how toresist the devil by learning
his game and walking with Jesus,the star of all of our stories.
And if you don't believe inJesus, that's okay, hang around,
because this podcast is foreveryone.
The fact of the matter is isthat all of my life he has been
(03:50):
faithful, and it would beimpossible for me to talk about
how trauma has impacted overtime without highlighting the
faithfulness of God and how hehasn't missed any of it, and how
he hasn't missed any of it.
As many of you know, mama Bootsypassed away in January of this
(04:10):
year and for those of you whodon't know who that is, that is
someone who just came into mylife, in my mid 30s, who said I
will be what you never had.
And she passed away in Januaryand we're still very much
grieving that.
But she used to say somethingthat I want to pass along to you
when we would talk to her aboutthings that were difficult and
sufferings that we were goingthrough, she would tell us God
(04:31):
is not up there wringing hishands up in heaven over this.
He knows what's going on.
I love, love, love thatstatement by her and I think
about it often.
But for many of you and for mesometimes, this is why your
heart is broken, because youdon't understand God and you
don't understand how he couldallow things to happen.
(04:52):
I hope this season of thepodcast helps you with that,
because none of us understandall of the things.
But one thing is for sure isthat suffering that we
experience in this life waspromised by Jesus.
We see that in all four Gospels, but particularly in John 16,
33.
And our suffering in light ofeternity is found in 2
Corinthians, 4, 17 and 18 is buta momentary light of affliction
(05:17):
.
I love the Shane and Shane song, where John Piper comes in and
says it wasn't meaningless.
Your suffering is notmeaningless Because you guys,
you see, god is always here.
And so, as we walk through thisseason, I want to continue that
, even though your life may notlook perfect and you may have
suffered some pain all of ourlives, he has been faithful.
(05:39):
During these last four years,and particularly in the last
year, I began pursuing adoctorate degree, and that is in
large part because of thispodcast.
I realized that, my voice beingheard across this world, on six
continents, that it was vitallyimportant that I provide the
richest experience with usableknowledge that I can pass on to
(06:00):
you.
I'm at the end of that journey,and by that I mean I have to
start.
I have to write thedissertation, and so during this
podcast season, you will bewalking with me as I research
and complete that dissertation.
So I hope that you will comealong for the ride, if for no
other reason, for that, as I'msure some episodes will be
influenced by it.
(06:21):
During this season we will talkabout cycle breakers.
Those are people who stand upto say the trauma stops with me.
We started this podcast and wenamed that first season PTSD
Jesus and me.
I began telling parts of mystory and if you haven't heard
that season, look in the shownotes for easy access to that
entire season.
But you see, I never set out tobreak cycles, but that is what
(06:45):
God equipped me to do and that'swhat made me think of that
verse that I opened the podcastwith faithful is he who calls
you who will also do it.
And so I stand strong and Ishout to the one who wants to
steal from me, who wants to killand who wants to destroy an
enemy that is bound by Jesus,and who wants to destroy an
enemy that is bound by Jesus hehas already won that war.
(07:07):
And I scream to the top of mylungs.
The trauma stops with me.
I will spend the rest of mylife breaking cycles and
teaching others to do the same,primarily by highlighting the
star of the story, who is Jesus,the first, the last, the
all-powerful king who will oneday make, as CS Lewis says, all
(07:28):
of the sad things untrue.
He will make all things new.
We see that in the book ofRevelation.
This season, we will focus onmicro-segments of the population
and how they experience trauma.
We will focus on differenttrauma and recovery treatments
specific to each population.
We will talk about significantglobal events that happened in
(07:50):
their lifetime and so, as you'vecome to expect, there will be
experts as well and we'llimplement some of what I have
learned in my doctoral pursuit.
As I mentioned, we willhighlight generational trauma as
part of that cycle breakerseries.
We will speak to members ofeach generation before we begin
the cycle breaker series thesilent generation, which is the
(08:11):
oldest living generation, exceptfor a small representation of
the greatest generation, andunfortunately I've not been able
to find a guest for that.
I would love, love, love tohave a generation, the greatest
generation.
But I do have representationsfrom the silent generation, the
baby boomers, generation X,millennials, gen Z and, yes,
(08:32):
even Generation Alpha, and we'regoing to watch how trauma has
been viewed and over the yearsand how we have gotten better,
or have we?
We will see.
I want to know what significantglobal events happened during
their lifetime.
How did it affect theirhousehold?
Where were they Like, forexample, for the silent
generation, when we dropped theatomic bomb on Japan?
(08:54):
Or how did they experience thedepression?
Generation X probably has themost experience across
technological spectrums and soon, and so with some of these
progressive things that camethrough the generations came an
increase of potency for trauma.
But we know trauma is not new,and so it's going to be really
(09:15):
cool to examine and investigate,starting with someone born in
1933, all the way up to someoneborn like the 2015-16 type error
.
And so how was mental healthviewed through these generations
?
I will do some research aboutthat, as well as interviews, and
inform you about mental healthtreatment during those times,
(09:37):
and we'll talk about how, or ifthere is a difference between
generations and what, ifanything, needs to change.
I think that we will identifytrends as we move through the
generations and we will landwhere we are now as a society
and we will park there as weexamine how we can do better as
people that are suffering theills of some trauma, and
(09:57):
literally everyone on the planetwas traumatized by the COVID-19
pandemic.
I will continue this podcastbecause, if statistics tell us
anything, here are somestatistics for you on some of
the most known traumas.
Now, some of you have traumasthat I will not mention here,
and I am not belittling thosetraumas.
These are the main ones Childabuse, according to the US
(10:20):
Department of Health and HumanServices, in 2021, approximately
one in seven childrenexperienced child abuse and
neglect.
The National Child Abuse andNeglect Data System reported
over 600,000 children werevictims of abuse and neglect in
2021.
Those children are going tobecome adults and if we don't
(10:43):
intervene that now and helpingchildren who are experiencing
child abuse and I'm looking atyou, church leaders, I'm looking
at you, teachers, I'm lookingat anyone who has access to
children outside of their homewhere they may be getting hurt
one out of every seven childrenthat's that's about 15% of
children in this country areexperiencing some sort of child
(11:05):
abuse and or neglect in thepreceding 12 months.
That is why we will continuethis podcast.
Some of you were that child, Iwas that child, and if we don't
pay attention to child abuse andall that it does to us, it will
affect us later in life, as itdid me.
(11:28):
The statistics also prove thatthose who've experienced child
abuse are more likely to go onand experience domestic violence
, which was my story.
The National Coalition AgainstDomestic Violence estimates that
about one in four women and onein nine men have been severely
or physically abused by anintimate partner.
I would argue that thatstatistic about men is probably
higher because men are lesslikely to report intimate
(11:50):
partner abuse.
The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention reported that
approximately one in three womenand one in four men have some
form of physical violence, andso those two organizations are a
little bit different, and Ithink that one in four men have
experienced some sort ofphysical violence by an intimate
partner is important.
In a 2021 survey of the Centersfor Disease Control, around 10%
(12:14):
of adults reported experiencingphysical violence, including
hitting, beating or pushing byan intimate partner in their
lifetime, or pushing by anintimate partner in their
lifetime.
And so we talk about childabuse, we talk about domestic
violence.
These numbers are not goingdown as we have gotten quote
better about paying attention tothem, and so that is why I will
continue to get behind thismicrophone.
(12:36):
Those who have experienced childabuse also are more likely to
go on and experience sexualassault.
According to the NationalSexual Assault Research Center,
approximately one in five womenand one in 75 men in the United
States have been raped at somepoint in their lives, and I
would again argue that the onein 71 men is probably inaccurate
, because men are less likely toreport because of the shame.
(12:58):
And I'll park there for asecond because, remember, shame
threatens to steal everythingfrom us.
Shame makes us think that weare defined by the event, that
we're defined by the mistake, ifyou will, and of course, a rape
survivor has not made a mistake, but shame still exists.
Shame says I am the event, notthat the event happened to me,
(13:21):
right, and so we will stay onthis microphone.
Because of the sexual assaultprevalence in this country, the
Rape and Abuse and IncestNetwork reports that every 68
seconds, so this podcast willprobably be about 30 minutes
long.
30, approximately 30 people inAmerica will have been sexually
(13:44):
assaulted just while you'relistening to this podcast.
Many instances of sexual assaultgo unreported.
As I just mentioned, the Bureauof Justice and Statistics
indicates that only about 25% ofsexual assaults are reported to
the police.
Factors influencingunderreporting include fear of
not being believed, concerns ofprivacy and fear of retaliation.
(14:06):
Sexual assault affects peopleacross all demographics, but
certain groups are at higherrisk.
For instance, young adults 18to 24 are at higher risk, with a
significant number of theseassaults occurring in college
settings.
The LBGTQ plus community andindividuals with disabilities
also face elevated risk ofsexual violence and, by the way,
(14:27):
it will be my goal to get amember of the LGBTQ plus
community on the podcast thisthis season to talk about how
they experienced trauma, because, while most of my guests will
believe in the star of the storyof Jesus and maybe I'll get an
LGBTQ plus guest on here whobelieves in the star of the
story, which will be confusingto a lot of us but I want their
(14:51):
perspective, and so that's whatthis season is going to look
like.
This is not going to bepreaching to the same choir,
preaching in the same room.
We want to get other voicestalking about some of these
things.
Another thing that we face alot when trauma is present is
depression and anxiety, and thatis why I will continue to stay
behind this microphone.
According to the NationalInstitute of Mental Health, in
(15:12):
2021, approximately 8.4% ofadults in the United States
experience a major depressiveepisode in the past year.
And let me describe a majordepressive episode and this is
where the budding Dr Watsoncomes in.
This is people who stay in bed23 hours a day.
They isolate, they don't takecare of their daily living
(15:35):
activities, they don't take careof themselves.
Major depressive episodes 8.4%and I believe that this is
probably going to continue to behigher, as we see what COVID
did to us.
The National Center for HealthStatistics reported that
approximately 17% of adultsexperience symptoms of
depression at some point intheir life and, of course, this
(15:56):
ranges by gender and ethnicity.
Women are generally more likelyto experience depression than
men.
For example, in 2021, about10.5% of women and 6.2% of men
reported having a majordepressive episode.
Younger adults right now havethe higher rates of depression
compared to older age groups,and about 15.5% of them
(16:19):
experience a major depressiveepisode in 2021.
So we have our work cut out forus.
This is why I will stay behindthis microphone is because these
things continue to be a problemand people continue to need
tools to live through them byway of stories, by way of
focusing on microcosms of theentire population, as we're
(16:41):
going to do this entire season,starting with generational
trauma and how trauma isexperienced by different people
in different generations, but weare going to poke our head in
different populations all overthe place, so that there is
something this season foreveryone, even if you don't
believe in the start of thestory.
The last thing is anxiety thatI want to talk about and the
(17:03):
reason why I will stay behindthis microphone because anxiety
is a thing and those of you whoexperience it.
I want to give you tools by wayof story, by way of hope, by
way of education of how tohandle anxiety.
The National Institute ofMental Health reports that
approximately 19.1 percent ofadults in the United States
experience an anxiety disorderin the past year, and this
(17:24):
figure holds various types ofanxiety disorders, such as
generalized anxiety disorder,panic disorder, social anxiety
disorder and other specificphobias.
Finally, I will stay behindthis microphone because of the
prevalence of substance abuse,and we know I talk to people at
work all the time.
When they come for help, andparticularly when they come for
(17:46):
detox help, I look at them inthe eye and, if they're able, I
asked them pretty much, whathappened to you?
Because we don't see substanceabuse without trauma and if we
do, it's very, very, very, verysmall portion of the population
of people who have substanceabuse.
They are trying to to numbsomething and we'll talk about
that.
(18:07):
We'll talk to people who areabused to drugs and alcohol, or
who were and who are, and howtrauma has, how they experienced
trauma, but according to the2022 National Survey on Drug Use
, approximately 16.5% ofAmericans aged get this, guys.
12 and older 12 and older Pausethere for a second had a
(18:32):
substance disorder in the pastyear.
The opioid crisis, of course,the epidemic has been a major
concern.
In 2021, the CDC reportednearly 107,000 drug overdoses
that occurred in the UnitedStates, with opioids being
responsible for 75% of that, andso the misuse of prescription
(18:54):
opioids, heroin, syntheticopioids like fentanyl has driven
a major overdose death.
Fentanyl, in particular, hasbeen a major factor due to the
potency and increasing presencein the drug supply, and every
day when I go to work, guys, Iam seeing fentanyl destroy lives
, and so that is why we willstay behind this microphone.
That is why we will speak topeople who suffer substance
(19:15):
abuse disorder and how theyexperience trauma, and both
sides of that.
People who are currently using,the people who are in recovery.
Finally, and probably mostimportantly, I want to talk to
you about that I will staybehind this microphone and
highlight different microcosmsof the population.
Because of suicide rates.
This makes my heart the saddest.
(19:37):
As a survivor of a suicideattempt, I remember being that
desperate to simply not want tobe on this planet.
I think that the COVID-19pandemic has probably made it
even more difficult for us toget out in front of suicidal
ideations, particularly suicidalideations with a plan, and then
, of course, those people aredying by suicide.
(19:58):
According to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention
in 2021,.
According to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention
in 2021, the age-adjustedsuicide rate in the United
States was approximately 14 per100,000 individuals, which is
1.4% and represents a slightincrease from previous years,
reflecting an ongoing concern.
Suicide is the leading cause ofdeath in the United States,
(20:19):
ranking 12th.
Okay, I want to stop there fora second.
Suicide is a leading cause ofdeath in the United States,
ranking 12th overall.
It is the second leading causeof death in those 10 to 34, 10
years old guys 10 years old andso these are reasons why I'm
(20:46):
going to stay behind thismicrophone.
These are, these are ourenvironments and people that I'm
going to highlight, and howthey experience trauma and how
their story might be able tohelp somebody else on the other
side of this microphone or thatmicrophone walk through their
trauma, and so it's going to bea fun season.
By the end of the season,hopefully, you all will be
calling me Dr Watson, I presume.
(21:06):
Of course, we have to add there, but these are just a few
targets for our season.
As is customary with this show,the season will evolve because
we will remain open-minded aboutthe populations of interest.
As I mentioned, we will havesomeone from the LBGTQ plus
community here, as well as otherpeople like that who don't
believe in Jesus but can help usunderstand how they experience
(21:31):
trauma and, more importantly,how they live with trauma.
This is going to be a fun rideand it all starts in two weeks.
Remember to like, follow orsubscribe the podcast.
Wherever you listen to podcastsor at WednesdaysWithWatsoncom,
you can follow me on Instagramand you'll also get content
there.
We are so excited about thisnew season.
(21:53):
If you want us to focus on aparticular population, I would
love to hear from you.
Use that feature in the shownotes and send us a text message
.
That message only comes to me,so it will be held confidential.
Here's the thing, guys.
God is faithful, just like Iopened up the podcast with.
He is not up in heaven wringinghis hands over our pain.
He can be trusted with ourdeepest pain, deepest pain, and
(22:30):
he stands ready to walk with youthrough it or sit in it.
If that's the season you findyourself Every single hour.
He is faithful and that willnever change.
Everyone under the sound of myvoice is an image bearer, and
regardless of how you choose tolive your life, nothing changes
that promise.
He stands ready to help us withour pain.
(22:52):
He stands ready to answer ourindicting questions.
He stands ready to be the Lordand Savior of our broken, broken
lives.
And so I am excited to bringthis season to you, as we just
continue to punch trauma in themouth and say not today, not me,
(23:15):
not my life.
It stops with me.
And I am going to go on andtell people about how faithful
God has been All of my life.
And you have access to thatsame God.
And if you do not know him andyou want to know him, use that
(23:37):
same feature, that textmessaging feature or Instagram
DM, and I would love tointroduce you to the star of the
story.
So we will be back in two weekswith our first episode, which
should be an episode with MomMcGowan representing the silent
generation.
It's going to be a ride, andI'm so glad that you have joined
(23:58):
me for it, and so until nexttime, you know what I'm going to
say.
You are seen, you are known,you are heard, you are loved and
you are so, so valued.
See you guys in two weeks.
In every way, oh, I need you,lord, and that will never change
(24:36):
.
Oh, that will never change.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, you're afortress, you're my hiding place
(24:59):
, you're the shelter where I amsafe.
You have freed me, you havecalled me by name, my redeemer,
my saving grace.
Every hour of every day, oh, Ineed you, lord, and that will
(25:29):
never change.
I need you Lord, and that willnever change.
Every moment, in every way, oh,I need you, lord, and that will
never change.
Faithful, that's who you areMore than able to care for my
(25:59):
heart.
Father and friend, there tillthe end.
You are faithful, oh, god, oh,and faithful, that's who you are
(26:19):
More than able to care for myheart.
Father and friend, there to theend.
You are faithful, oh God, andevery hour and every day, oh, I
(26:49):
need you Lord, and that willnever change.
Every moment, in every way, oh,I need you, lord, and that will
never change.
Oh, that will never change.
(27:09):
Oh, that will never change.
Yeah, that will never change.
Oh, that will never change.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.