July 2, 2025 • 27 mins
The world often feels fundamentally unsafe for those of us living with PTSD, even before we turn on the news. When global events like military conflicts, mass shootings, and political turmoil dominate headlines, our already sensitive nervous systems go into overdrive, confirming what trauma has already taught us – that danger lurks everywhere.
Yet finding peace isn't about pretending the world is safe when it isn't. Rather, it's about creating micro-sanctuaries where your nervous system can reset amid chaos. This episode offers practical tools for navigating global uncertainty while protecting your mental health. We explore vagus nerve regulation techniques like the 4-4-4 breathing method (four seconds inhale, four seconds hold, four seconds exhale) and gentle self-massage along the vagal pathway. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise engages your senses and activates the logical part of your brain, pulling you away from emotional flooding during anxiety spikes.
Connection proves essential despite our tendency to isolate when triggered. Having trusted people who understand your specific needs without judgment provides crucial safety. Rather than consuming news directly, consider having these trusted individuals filter important information for you. Alternatives like faith-based news summaries can provide necessary awareness without the cortisol-inducing presentation of mainstream media. Remember, we weren't designed to bear the emotional weight of global suffering – only to care well for our immediate circles of influence.
Throughout your healing journey, hold tight to this truth: you aren't broken – you're healing. You aren't weak – you're surviving. The path to peace comes through small, intentional choices: one boundary, one breath, one moment of presence at a time. As Psalm 91 reminds us, even when thousands fall around us, we can find refuge. You are seen, known, heard, loved, and deeply valued, both by the God of the universe and by those who understand the unique challenges of living with trauma in an uncertain world.
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):
And then I shall not want for anything and finally be
at peace again.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Wednesdays
with Watson podcast.
It is July of 2025 and, after ashort break, we are back.
We are back to talk all thingsmental health, all things trauma
, all things PTSD.
If you don't know by now, myname is Amy Watson and I am your
host.
Today's episode was born out ofsomething that I felt was
(00:34):
missing when I went looking forit, and so, as many of you know,
I am a patient with complexpost traumatic stress disorder,
and over the next couple ofweeks, we're actually going to
or the next podcast drops, Ishould say we are going to dive
into a little more of the depthsof post-traumatic stress
disorder, as well as complexpost-traumatic stress disorder,
(00:57):
and something that I'm realexcited to bring to you is
something that I enjoy, and I'mso grateful for being able to
enjoy post traumatic growth, andthat is possible for us friends
, if you are living with ahistory of trauma, ptsd or CPTSD
, this podcast dedicated to allthings trauma and helping you
(01:18):
know the hope that is there forthose of us who live with PTSD
or any of its cousins.
So a couple weeks ago, I wasscrolling on Instagram I believe
it was and got the news of theUnited States, bombing of Iran
and the nuclear power plants,and I don't watch the news,
(01:40):
which is why we are doing thisepisode today, because I want to
talk to you about what it meansto live with post traumatic
stress disorder in a world thatoften feels unsafe, and so there
are some things that I do.
One of those is avoid allthings news unless something
like this happens.
And then what do we do?
What do we do when we areliving with PTSD in an unsafe
(02:06):
world, and so we are going totalk about that today.
So let and as I wrote thisepisode, the news cycle was full
(02:33):
of the United States exercisingessentially its will on Iran.
When the news cycle iscompletely full of things like
this of uncertainty, full ofthings like this of uncertainty,
those of us that live with PTSDhave to pay special attention
to taking care of ourselves andprotecting our peace, and
(02:53):
there's this need to both takecare of ourselves, protect our
peace and be informed.
Today, I will share how I dothis, and it involves all the
things that we talk about on theWednesdays with Watson podcast.
It involves Jesus, the star ofall of our stories.
Community right, I needed to goto some of my community to help
(03:14):
me know what was going on inthe world, instead of getting
that first degree.
And then, of course, we know wealways talk about church in
this episode and hopefully youcan find some hope in an unsafe
world in the community of yourchurch, because, you see, maybe
your trauma is in the rearviewmirror, but your body is telling
(03:35):
a different story.
Your body is still reactinglike that trauma is happening
right now.
This, by definition, ispost-traumatic stress disorder.
Maybe your trauma is actuallywhat's going on in the world.
Maybe the sheer out ofcontrol-ness of that makes you
feel some anxiety and your PTSDbegins to give you symptoms,
(04:00):
often played out somatically inyour body.
Maybe you are somebody thatwatches the news all the time
and the chronic injustice of thenews, all of the things going
on globally.
Right, we are not meant to knowall of these things going on in
every single corner of theearth.
(04:20):
And when these things come uponour purview not just things
like what happened in Iran, but,as I'm actually recording this,
(04:46):
something that just happened inIdaho was a sniper who took the
lives of of the news maybe evenyour physical environment
doesn't feel safe.
We never know anymore when wemight be part of an active
shooter situation.
But whatever it is for you, youare not alone, and you know
that if you've been hangingaround the Wednesdays with
Watson podcast at all.
Today's episode I've entitledwhen the world feels unsafe PTSD
(05:07):
and practical peace.
We're going to explore what youcan do when you can't control
the chaos around you and how youcan still find these moments of
safety, moments of healing andmoments of hope, especially in a
world that doesn't always offerit.
So let's start here.
(05:29):
Ptsd isn't just about whathappened to you in the past.
It is how your brain and yourbody remember those events and
how they try to protect us fromthem ever happening again.
Because you see, as the famousbook by Dr Wessel van der Kolk
says, the body keeps the score,and so many of your friends may
(05:54):
not understand why the newsaffects you like it does, but
your body is remembering periodsof unsafe, periods where you
are unsafe, remember, bydefinition, when your safety has
been compromised.
That, potentially, is atraumatic event for you, and
your body is remembering.
Your brain is remembering Ifyou've ever been triggered by a
(06:18):
sound, a smell, even the waysomebody looks at you, even the
way somebody looks at you Ifyour body floods with what feels
like oh gosh, what's the bestway to explain?
A cortisol dump to you?
Just like an adrenalinecortisol dump, where your heart
is racing, it's hard to catchyour breath, it's hard to sleep,
it's hard to put your mind atease.
(06:38):
You live in this hyper alertstate.
If this is you, you know whatI'm talking about.
And then, without yourpermission, right so you,
because you are a child of themost high God made in his image
and you're the only one like you, right so?
You're dealing with your ownresponse to trauma.
(07:00):
You're dealing with your body'sremembering your trauma, your
brain remembering your trauma.
And then here comes this world,this big, unsafe world.
It is loud, it is violent.
In this country, guys, we areso divided it is scary.
(07:23):
So what do we do when theoutside world confirms what our
trauma has already taught us?
See, our trauma wants you tobelieve that you are not safe.
What do we do when the worldbacks that up?
The first thing you need to do,guys, is acknowledge the
reality.
This world is broken.
It's broken.
Pretending that it isn't brokenis not going to help you.
(07:46):
Jesus told us in this world youwill have trouble, but take
heart, because I have overcomethe world.
We see that in John 14, six.
So step one is this you are notcrazy for feeling unsafe.
You're simply a human being,and sometimes humans like you
(08:11):
and like me, who have seen toomuch ick and unsafeness we've
experienced in this world.
You need to build your owninternal sanctuary.
How do we do that?
Eternal sanctuary?
How do we do that?
Well, we remember that safetydoesn't always come from the
outside.
It often comes from within.
(08:32):
When we think of microsanctuaries, the world will tell
you that it's so many things,but I am telling you that it is
found in the person of Jesus.
Isaiah 26, three tells us Iwill keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on the.
Did you know that there are 365verses, one for every single
day, in the Bible that says thatbegins with the words fear not,
(08:56):
because those of us living withPTSD I'm never going to teach
you that the goal for you is topretend that the world is safe.
The goal for you is to createtiny moments and spaces where
you and your nervous system cansimply exhale.
Right as I'm recording this,one of my I call her part of
(09:19):
team Amy her name is LaurenStarnes has a program that I've
spoken to about before on thispodcast, and we will link the
episode in the show notes ofwhen the body talks right.
And so when your body is talkingto you as a result of an unsafe
world, as the things that aregoing on in the news, the things
you hear at work when it'sresponding, there's some things
(09:39):
you can do to create a microsanctuary for yourself so that
you can reset and not feel aspanicked when panic or fear hits
.
Your breath is your favorite,is your most valuable and my
favorite way to calm down thenervous system.
It's four seconds in, fourseconds hold and four seconds
(10:07):
out.
See, that resets the vagusnerve.
So I want you to take a breathin, I want you to close your
eyes, pretend like you aresmelling the roses One, two,
three, four and hold two, three,four out through your mouth
like you're blowing out thebirthday candles Two, three,
(10:28):
four.
This sets your vagus nerve,which is a large nerve in your
body that goes from your head toyour toe, and when you have
anxiety reactions, when you havefear reactions, your vagus
nerve is overstimulated.
It is telling your body we'reat war, fight.
And when you do this, breathein through your nose two, three,
four, hold two, three, four outtwo, three, four, you're
(10:54):
resetting that vagus nerve.
Let me tell you a couple ofother ways to reset the vagus
nerve.
When you're feeling unsafe,when you're feeling panicky,
when you're having PTSD symptoms, you can put your right under
your ear is where your vagusnerve connects and it goes all
the way through your body.
(11:14):
But you can literally followthat bone in the side of your
neck all the way down andmassage the nerves right there,
and that too will calm down thevagus nerve.
Another way is for you toanchor yourself with a grounding
technique.
One of my favorites of this,because it absolutely engages
(11:35):
the left and linear side of yourbrain and gets you out of the
panic, is what we call the 5, 4,3, 2, 1 method and basically
you're using the five senses andyou're engaging the left,
linear, listing part of yourbrain and you're getting out of
the emotional brain, which iswhere we feel panic.
(11:55):
You are looking for five thingsyou can see four things, you can
touch three things, you canhear two things, you can smell
and one thing you can taste orthat you're grateful for if you
don't have anything right therein terms of tasting.
(12:15):
This engages the senses.
Five things you can see, andyou're listing these five things
.
You can see four things.
You can touch three things.
You can hear two things.
You can smell, one thing youcan taste or that you're
grateful for.
You can also use some when,then language to reclaim control
(12:39):
.
If you're feeling panicky in aworld that is unsafe, I'm safe
Instead of if this happens again.
So if I turn on the news againand I see something like the
United States has has bombedanother country, I won't survive
.
Try when, when, not if, becauseyou will get triggered.
(12:59):
If you have PTSD when I amtriggered, then I can take a
walk, I could text a friend, Ican breathe, I can pray or use
my tools, because, you see, posttraumatic stress disorder takes
away your right to choose.
Your job is to take that back.
Instead of saying if it happensagain, say it when it happens
(13:22):
again and what will you do whenit happens?
Part of the issue, too, guys,is I know this is especially
true for me is when I began tofeel the symptoms of post
traumatic stress disorder.
I isolate, I'll go into a darkroom and watch silly things on
YouTube or something like that,but I don't necessarily.
(13:44):
It's not my first instinct toreach out to somebody, but, guys
, isolation breeds fear.
Connection breeds safety, andso I say this all the time and
I'll say it again Healinghappens in community.
Find your people, call them,have a code word hey, I'm not
(14:05):
doing well.
This means come grab me forcoffee.
This means call me Okay.
This means I need eight minutesof your time.
Scientifically proven eightminutes of a connection will get
you out of some of thesesymptoms.
So, whether you've livedthrough trauma, I understand,
though I should say, when you'velived through trauma, I
understand that trusting peoplefeels like playing with fire.
(14:27):
But you got to find your safepeople, those people who see you
, those people who honor therate in which you need to move
in life, those people that holdspace, hold time for you to tell
your story.
They, my friends, are part ofyour way to healing.
They, my friends, are part ofyour way to healing, whether
(14:54):
it's a therapist, a trustedfriend, a support group.
Ptsd does not heal in a vacuum.
Maybe you won't feel safeanywhere right now, and you know
what that's fair in this world.
But you can start small and youcan ask yourself who makes me
feel the most calm.
You need a 9-1-1.
Do not pass go, do not collect200.
Access to that friend whorespects when you say no, who
(15:21):
can sit with you in silencewithout trying to fix you.
You see, these are your peopleright.
When you think of a world thatfeels unsafe, you need to
remember that you can't controlthe world, but you can shape
your response to the things thatare going on in the world, and
I'm going to end this episodewith practical ways to stay
(15:43):
informed and not be immersed inthe news.
But the fact of the matter isis that you are not powerless in
your own story.
You have the power of choice,and I want to speak to those of
you who feel defeated.
The news is hard Every day.
You're never going to turn iton and go.
You know what I was glad I didwas turn on the news today to
(16:05):
turn it on and go.
You know what I was glad I didwas turn on the news today.
The news is hard.
The global trauma is heavy.
Maybe you're raising kids inthis world and wondering how in
the world are you supposed toteach them hope when you can
barely feel it for yourself.
Well, as John Eldred says andI've said this so many times on
this podcast we are not meant tobear the burdens of the whole
(16:25):
world, but of our own village.
Because, my friend, you cannotchange the whole world, but you
can change how you show up inyours.
I'll say that again you cannotchange the whole world, but you
can change how you show up inyours.
Some things this is how thislooks right Log off of social
(16:48):
media when it gets too hard.
And, guys, we could do a wholeepisode about social media and
what it's doing to our nervoussystems and I am preaching to
myself with this because I amaddicted to TikTok and Instagram
reels and all the things but itjacks up your nervous system,
it dumps cortisol, it dumpsadrenaline.
Limit screen time.
(17:10):
Practice Sabbath rest you need aday a week when you're putting
down your phone.
Right, you need an hour a daywhen you're putting down your
phone.
Divert daily, withdraw weeklyand, at least once a year, you
need to put down your phone fora week.
No social media PracticeSabbath rest.
(17:33):
Guys and this doesn't mean thatthe to-do list just changes you
need to practice one day a weekwhere you're resting, one day a
week where you're not watchingthe news, one day a week where
you're not consuming all of thison social media, your nervous
system will thank you.
You have to feel free and ableto say no, to trigger that, the
(17:57):
environments that trigger youthat might be watching the news.
You have to let God keep you inthe quiet.
We don't like quiet, but, man,if we get alone before an
almighty God, will he ever bringthat perfect peace?
Let him meet you in the quiet.
You need to be smart about yournews consumption.
(18:21):
There's a line from Psalms thatI keep coming back to God is
our refuge and our strength, thevery present help in trouble,
not a distant help, not asomeday help, but a very, very
present help.
That is your safety.
It is not in the absence ofpain, but in the presence of the
(18:44):
Prince of Peace.
So if you're listening todayand thinking I do not feel safe
and I don't know where to start,I see you and I hear you and I
want you to hear me say this youare not broken, you are healing
and you may heal until the dayyou see Jesus.
(19:04):
You are not weak, you'resurviving, you are not alone,
you are loved and in a worldthat feels unsafe, you still
have the agency to cultivatepeace inside One breath, one
boundary, one brave yes at atime.
And so one of the things that Iwanted to talk to you guys about
(19:27):
is some practical solutions,some practical ideas for news
consumption.
So when all of this went down,I texted my friend and I said
Did you hear the news?
And she said, and she responded, and, and over the next couple
days I did consume quite a bitof news, more news than I like.
But I knew that because of thatintense news cycle, and I
(19:48):
wanted to know what was going onin the world and I wanted to
try to get it from the mostdependable place that I could,
and that is not social media.
And so I understood that therewere some things that I needed
to do after that immenseconsumption of the news cycle.
And it did include some ofthose things like breathing
exercises.
It included taking a walk, itincluded getting out in the sun,
(20:09):
it included finally turning offthe TV and saying to a trusted
friend okay, I think the worldis safe from nuclear war right
now.
So I'm going back to notwatching the news, which, by the
way, is my position Almostalways.
I don't watch the news.
I talk to people who do trustthe news or watch the news.
I trust people who watch thenews and they tell me if it's
(20:31):
something I need to worry about.
Prime example is I'm in Florida, this is prime hurricane season
.
I don't even watch it then.
I only watch it when my eminentlife is in danger, like a
hurricane warning, a hurricanewatch, or the world is on brink
of nuclear war.
Other than that, I trustsomebody else to give me my news
(20:51):
, and that has been one of thebest decisions that I have ever
made, another one that I justcame upon.
Another idea that I just cameupon with this recent news cycle
was poor over news, and that isa Christian based kind of no
must, no fuss, no, no drama.
Just here's the news and hereis the Bible's take on it and
(21:14):
here's how you can pray.
It's called poor over news andso that is also an option.
The the bottom line, guys, is Iunderstand more than anybody
the presence of post traumaticstress disorder and the desire
to stay informed in the world.
You can't necessarily beinformed as you would like to be
if you have PTSD and thesethings re trigger you.
(21:35):
You just kind of have tounderstand that this is
something that is a result ofyour post traumatic stress
disorder and because of that,you have to be careful about the
news that you consume, becauseyou will immediately, your brain
and your body will immediatelyremember those times when you
were unsafe and you will havesymptoms of post-traumatic
stress disorder.
You'll get the cortisol dumps,you'll get the adrenaline dumps,
your serotonin and dopaminewill be affected and it just
(21:57):
isn't good for you.
And so, if you have a historyof trauma, you have
post-traumatic stress disorder.
You need to consider notconsuming the news all the time.
You need to consider limitingsocial media.
You need to consider who youfollow on social media, because
this is an unsafe world and itwill be until the day that we
walk into heaven.
And you have a history oftrauma, a history of being
(22:19):
unsafe, and your body is alwaysgoing to remember, it's going to
trigger you.
But, guys, you are not broken.
Like I said, you are healing,you are not weak, you are
surviving, you are not alone,you are loved.
And if the world feels unsafeoutside, remember you still have
the choice to choose safety.
You can do that, one boundaryat a time.
(22:42):
One brave yes at a time, onebrave no at a time.
Guys, you got this.
You can get through this.
This world is unsafe.
That is a fact.
Jesus told us in this world, youwill have trouble, but take
heart, for I have overcome theworld.
He also, god, told us I willkeep him in perfect peace, whose
(23:03):
mind is stayed on the.
And.
So, guys, as we close thisepisode, one of the things that
I love is Psalm 91.
And I call it the PTSD prayer,and so I just want to read that
Psalm for us today, and I hopethat you will hear me reading
(23:23):
the words over you and you willknow the the just, the truth of
Psalm 91.
And I am reading this out ofthe Christian Standard Bible.
Psalm 91, one, the one who livesunder the protection of the
Most High, dwells, in the shadowof the Almighty, I will say,
(23:45):
concerning the Lord, who is myrefuge and my fortress, my God,
in whom I trust, he himself willrescue you from the bird trap,
from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with hisfeathers.
You will take refuge under hiswings.
His faithfulness will be aprotective shield.
(24:09):
You will not fear the terror ofthe night, the arrow that flies
by day, the plague that stalksin darkness or the pestilence
that ravages at noon, though athousand fall at your side and
ten thousand at your right hand,the pestilence will not reach
you.
You will only see it with youreyes and witness the punishment
(24:33):
of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lordmy refuge, the Most High, your
dwelling place.
No harm will come to you, noplague will come near your tent,
for he will give the angelsorders concerning you to protect
(24:53):
you in all of your ways.
They will support you withtheir hands so that you will not
strike your foot against astone.
You will tread on the lion andthe cobra.
You will trample the young lionand the serpent, because he has
his heart set on me.
I will deliver him.
(25:15):
I will protect him because heknows my name.
When he calls out to me, I willanswer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give himhonor.
I will satisfy him with a longlife and I will show him my
(25:35):
salvation.
Guys, I hope that you will takethe truth of Psalm 91 to heart
as you try to process the thingsgoing on in the world right now
, because the fact of the matteris, as I always tell you on
this podcast, not only to God ofthe universe, but to people who
love you, people like me who dopodcasts like this you are seen
(25:56):
, you are known, you are heard,you are loved and you are so, so
valued.
Guys, go take care of yourselftoday.
Limit your social mediaconsumption, limit your news
consumption.
Find somebody you trust.
Remember that you have control.
Find yourself some groundingtechniques, breathing techniques
(26:19):
.
Remember that he will keep youin perfect peace when your mind
is stayed on him.
We will be back in two weeksand we will be talking about
post-traumatic growth.
I hope that you will join usUntil next time.
Say it again you are seen, youare known, you are heard, you
(26:40):
are loved and you are so, sovalued.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
What if all my life I wrestle with my worry and
anxiety?
What if the thorn deep in myside is only there to help me
see that, though I never askedfor it, the desert is God's gift
to me?
What if the world doesn't endwhen the fears come true?
(27:10):
What if we have what we need tomake it through?
There is manna from heaven andmercy's new.
What if God is still here inthe desert?
God is still here in thisdesert.
(27:35):
Oh,
And then I shall not want for anything and finally be
at peace again.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Wednesdays
with Watson podcast.
It is July of 2025 and, after ashort break, we are back.
We are back to talk all thingsmental health, all things trauma
, all things PTSD.
If you don't know by now, myname is Amy Watson and I am your
host.
Today's episode was born out ofsomething that I felt was
(00:34):
missing when I went looking forit, and so, as many of you know,
I am a patient with complexpost traumatic stress disorder,
and over the next couple ofweeks, we're actually going to
or the next podcast drops, Ishould say we are going to dive
into a little more of the depthsof post-traumatic stress
disorder, as well as complexpost-traumatic stress disorder,
(00:57):
and something that I'm realexcited to bring to you is
something that I enjoy, and I'mso grateful for being able to
enjoy post traumatic growth, andthat is possible for us friends
, if you are living with ahistory of trauma, ptsd or CPTSD
, this podcast dedicated to allthings trauma and helping you
(01:18):
know the hope that is there forthose of us who live with PTSD
or any of its cousins.
So a couple weeks ago, I wasscrolling on Instagram I believe
it was and got the news of theUnited States, bombing of Iran
and the nuclear power plants,and I don't watch the news,
(01:40):
which is why we are doing thisepisode today, because I want to
talk to you about what it meansto live with post traumatic
stress disorder in a world thatoften feels unsafe, and so there
are some things that I do.
One of those is avoid allthings news unless something
like this happens.
And then what do we do?
What do we do when we areliving with PTSD in an unsafe
(02:06):
world, and so we are going totalk about that today.
So let and as I wrote thisepisode, the news cycle was full
(02:33):
of the United States exercisingessentially its will on Iran.
When the news cycle iscompletely full of things like
this of uncertainty, full ofthings like this of uncertainty,
those of us that live with PTSDhave to pay special attention
to taking care of ourselves andprotecting our peace, and
(02:53):
there's this need to both takecare of ourselves, protect our
peace and be informed.
Today, I will share how I dothis, and it involves all the
things that we talk about on theWednesdays with Watson podcast.
It involves Jesus, the star ofall of our stories.
Community right, I needed to goto some of my community to help
(03:14):
me know what was going on inthe world, instead of getting
that first degree.
And then, of course, we know wealways talk about church in
this episode and hopefully youcan find some hope in an unsafe
world in the community of yourchurch, because, you see, maybe
your trauma is in the rearviewmirror, but your body is telling
(03:35):
a different story.
Your body is still reactinglike that trauma is happening
right now.
This, by definition, ispost-traumatic stress disorder.
Maybe your trauma is actuallywhat's going on in the world.
Maybe the sheer out ofcontrol-ness of that makes you
feel some anxiety and your PTSDbegins to give you symptoms,
(04:00):
often played out somatically inyour body.
Maybe you are somebody thatwatches the news all the time
and the chronic injustice of thenews, all of the things going
on globally.
Right, we are not meant to knowall of these things going on in
every single corner of theearth.
(04:20):
And when these things come uponour purview not just things
like what happened in Iran, but,as I'm actually recording this,
(04:46):
something that just happened inIdaho was a sniper who took the
lives of of the news maybe evenyour physical environment
doesn't feel safe.
We never know anymore when wemight be part of an active
shooter situation.
But whatever it is for you, youare not alone, and you know
that if you've been hangingaround the Wednesdays with
Watson podcast at all.
Today's episode I've entitledwhen the world feels unsafe PTSD
(05:07):
and practical peace.
We're going to explore what youcan do when you can't control
the chaos around you and how youcan still find these moments of
safety, moments of healing andmoments of hope, especially in a
world that doesn't always offerit.
So let's start here.
(05:29):
Ptsd isn't just about whathappened to you in the past.
It is how your brain and yourbody remember those events and
how they try to protect us fromthem ever happening again.
Because you see, as the famousbook by Dr Wessel van der Kolk
says, the body keeps the score,and so many of your friends may
(05:54):
not understand why the newsaffects you like it does, but
your body is remembering periodsof unsafe, periods where you
are unsafe, remember, bydefinition, when your safety has
been compromised.
That, potentially, is atraumatic event for you, and
your body is remembering.
Your brain is remembering Ifyou've ever been triggered by a
(06:18):
sound, a smell, even the waysomebody looks at you, even the
way somebody looks at you Ifyour body floods with what feels
like oh gosh, what's the bestway to explain?
A cortisol dump to you?
Just like an adrenalinecortisol dump, where your heart
is racing, it's hard to catchyour breath, it's hard to sleep,
it's hard to put your mind atease.
(06:38):
You live in this hyper alertstate.
If this is you, you know whatI'm talking about.
And then, without yourpermission, right so you,
because you are a child of themost high God made in his image
and you're the only one like you, right so?
You're dealing with your ownresponse to trauma.
(07:00):
You're dealing with your body'sremembering your trauma, your
brain remembering your trauma.
And then here comes this world,this big, unsafe world.
It is loud, it is violent.
In this country, guys, we areso divided it is scary.
(07:23):
So what do we do when theoutside world confirms what our
trauma has already taught us?
See, our trauma wants you tobelieve that you are not safe.
What do we do when the worldbacks that up?
The first thing you need to do,guys, is acknowledge the
reality.
This world is broken.
It's broken.
Pretending that it isn't brokenis not going to help you.
(07:46):
Jesus told us in this world youwill have trouble, but take
heart, because I have overcomethe world.
We see that in John 14, six.
So step one is this you are notcrazy for feeling unsafe.
You're simply a human being,and sometimes humans like you
(08:11):
and like me, who have seen toomuch ick and unsafeness we've
experienced in this world.
You need to build your owninternal sanctuary.
How do we do that?
Eternal sanctuary?
How do we do that?
Well, we remember that safetydoesn't always come from the
outside.
It often comes from within.
(08:32):
When we think of microsanctuaries, the world will tell
you that it's so many things,but I am telling you that it is
found in the person of Jesus.
Isaiah 26, three tells us Iwill keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on the.
Did you know that there are 365verses, one for every single
day, in the Bible that says thatbegins with the words fear not,
(08:56):
because those of us living withPTSD I'm never going to teach
you that the goal for you is topretend that the world is safe.
The goal for you is to createtiny moments and spaces where
you and your nervous system cansimply exhale.
Right as I'm recording this,one of my I call her part of
(09:19):
team Amy her name is LaurenStarnes has a program that I've
spoken to about before on thispodcast, and we will link the
episode in the show notes ofwhen the body talks right.
And so when your body is talkingto you as a result of an unsafe
world, as the things that aregoing on in the news, the things
you hear at work when it'sresponding, there's some things
(09:39):
you can do to create a microsanctuary for yourself so that
you can reset and not feel aspanicked when panic or fear hits
.
Your breath is your favorite,is your most valuable and my
favorite way to calm down thenervous system.
It's four seconds in, fourseconds hold and four seconds
(10:07):
out.
See, that resets the vagusnerve.
So I want you to take a breathin, I want you to close your
eyes, pretend like you aresmelling the roses One, two,
three, four and hold two, three,four out through your mouth
like you're blowing out thebirthday candles Two, three,
(10:28):
four.
This sets your vagus nerve,which is a large nerve in your
body that goes from your head toyour toe, and when you have
anxiety reactions, when you havefear reactions, your vagus
nerve is overstimulated.
It is telling your body we'reat war, fight.
And when you do this, breathein through your nose two, three,
four, hold two, three, four outtwo, three, four, you're
(10:54):
resetting that vagus nerve.
Let me tell you a couple ofother ways to reset the vagus
nerve.
When you're feeling unsafe,when you're feeling panicky,
when you're having PTSD symptoms, you can put your right under
your ear is where your vagusnerve connects and it goes all
the way through your body.
(11:14):
But you can literally followthat bone in the side of your
neck all the way down andmassage the nerves right there,
and that too will calm down thevagus nerve.
Another way is for you toanchor yourself with a grounding
technique.
One of my favorites of this,because it absolutely engages
(11:35):
the left and linear side of yourbrain and gets you out of the
panic, is what we call the 5, 4,3, 2, 1 method and basically
you're using the five senses andyou're engaging the left,
linear, listing part of yourbrain and you're getting out of
the emotional brain, which iswhere we feel panic.
(11:55):
You are looking for five thingsyou can see four things, you can
touch three things, you canhear two things, you can smell
and one thing you can taste orthat you're grateful for if you
don't have anything right therein terms of tasting.
(12:15):
This engages the senses.
Five things you can see, andyou're listing these five things
.
You can see four things.
You can touch three things.
You can hear two things.
You can smell, one thing youcan taste or that you're
grateful for.
You can also use some when,then language to reclaim control
(12:39):
.
If you're feeling panicky in aworld that is unsafe, I'm safe
Instead of if this happens again.
So if I turn on the news againand I see something like the
United States has has bombedanother country, I won't survive
.
Try when, when, not if, becauseyou will get triggered.
(12:59):
If you have PTSD when I amtriggered, then I can take a
walk, I could text a friend, Ican breathe, I can pray or use
my tools, because, you see, posttraumatic stress disorder takes
away your right to choose.
Your job is to take that back.
Instead of saying if it happensagain, say it when it happens
(13:22):
again and what will you do whenit happens?
Part of the issue, too, guys,is I know this is especially
true for me is when I began tofeel the symptoms of post
traumatic stress disorder.
I isolate, I'll go into a darkroom and watch silly things on
YouTube or something like that,but I don't necessarily.
(13:44):
It's not my first instinct toreach out to somebody, but, guys
, isolation breeds fear.
Connection breeds safety, andso I say this all the time and
I'll say it again Healinghappens in community.
Find your people, call them,have a code word hey, I'm not
(14:05):
doing well.
This means come grab me forcoffee.
This means call me Okay.
This means I need eight minutesof your time.
Scientifically proven eightminutes of a connection will get
you out of some of thesesymptoms.
So, whether you've livedthrough trauma, I understand,
though I should say, when you'velived through trauma, I
understand that trusting peoplefeels like playing with fire.
(14:27):
But you got to find your safepeople, those people who see you
, those people who honor therate in which you need to move
in life, those people that holdspace, hold time for you to tell
your story.
They, my friends, are part ofyour way to healing.
They, my friends, are part ofyour way to healing, whether
(14:54):
it's a therapist, a trustedfriend, a support group.
Ptsd does not heal in a vacuum.
Maybe you won't feel safeanywhere right now, and you know
what that's fair in this world.
But you can start small and youcan ask yourself who makes me
feel the most calm.
You need a 9-1-1.
Do not pass go, do not collect200.
Access to that friend whorespects when you say no, who
(15:21):
can sit with you in silencewithout trying to fix you.
You see, these are your peopleright.
When you think of a world thatfeels unsafe, you need to
remember that you can't controlthe world, but you can shape
your response to the things thatare going on in the world, and
I'm going to end this episodewith practical ways to stay
(15:43):
informed and not be immersed inthe news.
But the fact of the matter isis that you are not powerless in
your own story.
You have the power of choice,and I want to speak to those of
you who feel defeated.
The news is hard Every day.
You're never going to turn iton and go.
You know what I was glad I didwas turn on the news today to
(16:05):
turn it on and go.
You know what I was glad I didwas turn on the news today.
The news is hard.
The global trauma is heavy.
Maybe you're raising kids inthis world and wondering how in
the world are you supposed toteach them hope when you can
barely feel it for yourself.
Well, as John Eldred says andI've said this so many times on
this podcast we are not meant tobear the burdens of the whole
(16:25):
world, but of our own village.
Because, my friend, you cannotchange the whole world, but you
can change how you show up inyours.
I'll say that again you cannotchange the whole world, but you
can change how you show up inyours.
Some things this is how thislooks right Log off of social
(16:48):
media when it gets too hard.
And, guys, we could do a wholeepisode about social media and
what it's doing to our nervoussystems and I am preaching to
myself with this because I amaddicted to TikTok and Instagram
reels and all the things but itjacks up your nervous system,
it dumps cortisol, it dumpsadrenaline.
Limit screen time.
(17:10):
Practice Sabbath rest you need aday a week when you're putting
down your phone.
Right, you need an hour a daywhen you're putting down your
phone.
Divert daily, withdraw weeklyand, at least once a year, you
need to put down your phone fora week.
No social media PracticeSabbath rest.
(17:33):
Guys and this doesn't mean thatthe to-do list just changes you
need to practice one day a weekwhere you're resting, one day a
week where you're not watchingthe news, one day a week where
you're not consuming all of thison social media, your nervous
system will thank you.
You have to feel free and ableto say no, to trigger that, the
(17:57):
environments that trigger youthat might be watching the news.
You have to let God keep you inthe quiet.
We don't like quiet, but, man,if we get alone before an
almighty God, will he ever bringthat perfect peace?
Let him meet you in the quiet.
You need to be smart about yournews consumption.
(18:21):
There's a line from Psalms thatI keep coming back to God is
our refuge and our strength, thevery present help in trouble,
not a distant help, not asomeday help, but a very, very
present help.
That is your safety.
It is not in the absence ofpain, but in the presence of the
(18:44):
Prince of Peace.
So if you're listening todayand thinking I do not feel safe
and I don't know where to start,I see you and I hear you and I
want you to hear me say this youare not broken, you are healing
and you may heal until the dayyou see Jesus.
(19:04):
You are not weak, you'resurviving, you are not alone,
you are loved and in a worldthat feels unsafe, you still
have the agency to cultivatepeace inside One breath, one
boundary, one brave yes at atime.
And so one of the things that Iwanted to talk to you guys about
(19:27):
is some practical solutions,some practical ideas for news
consumption.
So when all of this went down,I texted my friend and I said
Did you hear the news?
And she said, and she responded, and, and over the next couple
days I did consume quite a bitof news, more news than I like.
But I knew that because of thatintense news cycle, and I
(19:48):
wanted to know what was going onin the world and I wanted to
try to get it from the mostdependable place that I could,
and that is not social media.
And so I understood that therewere some things that I needed
to do after that immenseconsumption of the news cycle.
And it did include some ofthose things like breathing
exercises.
It included taking a walk, itincluded getting out in the sun,
(20:09):
it included finally turning offthe TV and saying to a trusted
friend okay, I think the worldis safe from nuclear war right
now.
So I'm going back to notwatching the news, which, by the
way, is my position Almostalways.
I don't watch the news.
I talk to people who do trustthe news or watch the news.
I trust people who watch thenews and they tell me if it's
(20:31):
something I need to worry about.
Prime example is I'm in Florida, this is prime hurricane season
.
I don't even watch it then.
I only watch it when my eminentlife is in danger, like a
hurricane warning, a hurricanewatch, or the world is on brink
of nuclear war.
Other than that, I trustsomebody else to give me my news
(20:51):
, and that has been one of thebest decisions that I have ever
made, another one that I justcame upon.
Another idea that I just cameupon with this recent news cycle
was poor over news, and that isa Christian based kind of no
must, no fuss, no, no drama.
Just here's the news and hereis the Bible's take on it and
(21:14):
here's how you can pray.
It's called poor over news andso that is also an option.
The the bottom line, guys, is Iunderstand more than anybody
the presence of post traumaticstress disorder and the desire
to stay informed in the world.
You can't necessarily beinformed as you would like to be
if you have PTSD and thesethings re trigger you.
(21:35):
You just kind of have tounderstand that this is
something that is a result ofyour post traumatic stress
disorder and because of that,you have to be careful about the
news that you consume, becauseyou will immediately, your brain
and your body will immediatelyremember those times when you
were unsafe and you will havesymptoms of post-traumatic
stress disorder.
You'll get the cortisol dumps,you'll get the adrenaline dumps,
your serotonin and dopaminewill be affected and it just
(21:57):
isn't good for you.
And so, if you have a historyof trauma, you have
post-traumatic stress disorder.
You need to consider notconsuming the news all the time.
You need to consider limitingsocial media.
You need to consider who youfollow on social media, because
this is an unsafe world and itwill be until the day that we
walk into heaven.
And you have a history oftrauma, a history of being
(22:19):
unsafe, and your body is alwaysgoing to remember, it's going to
trigger you.
But, guys, you are not broken.
Like I said, you are healing,you are not weak, you are
surviving, you are not alone,you are loved.
And if the world feels unsafeoutside, remember you still have
the choice to choose safety.
You can do that, one boundaryat a time.
(22:42):
One brave yes at a time, onebrave no at a time.
Guys, you got this.
You can get through this.
This world is unsafe.
That is a fact.
Jesus told us in this world, youwill have trouble, but take
heart, for I have overcome theworld.
He also, god, told us I willkeep him in perfect peace, whose
(23:03):
mind is stayed on the.
And.
So, guys, as we close thisepisode, one of the things that
I love is Psalm 91.
And I call it the PTSD prayer,and so I just want to read that
Psalm for us today, and I hopethat you will hear me reading
(23:23):
the words over you and you willknow the the just, the truth of
Psalm 91.
And I am reading this out ofthe Christian Standard Bible.
Psalm 91, one, the one who livesunder the protection of the
Most High, dwells, in the shadowof the Almighty, I will say,
(23:45):
concerning the Lord, who is myrefuge and my fortress, my God,
in whom I trust, he himself willrescue you from the bird trap,
from the destructive plague.
He will cover you with hisfeathers.
You will take refuge under hiswings.
His faithfulness will be aprotective shield.
(24:09):
You will not fear the terror ofthe night, the arrow that flies
by day, the plague that stalksin darkness or the pestilence
that ravages at noon, though athousand fall at your side and
ten thousand at your right hand,the pestilence will not reach
you.
You will only see it with youreyes and witness the punishment
(24:33):
of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lordmy refuge, the Most High, your
dwelling place.
No harm will come to you, noplague will come near your tent,
for he will give the angelsorders concerning you to protect
(24:53):
you in all of your ways.
They will support you withtheir hands so that you will not
strike your foot against astone.
You will tread on the lion andthe cobra.
You will trample the young lionand the serpent, because he has
his heart set on me.
I will deliver him.
(25:15):
I will protect him because heknows my name.
When he calls out to me, I willanswer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give himhonor.
I will satisfy him with a longlife and I will show him my
(25:35):
salvation.
Guys, I hope that you will takethe truth of Psalm 91 to heart
as you try to process the thingsgoing on in the world right now
, because the fact of the matteris, as I always tell you on
this podcast, not only to God ofthe universe, but to people who
love you, people like me who dopodcasts like this you are seen
(25:56):
, you are known, you are heard,you are loved and you are so, so
valued.
Guys, go take care of yourselftoday.
Limit your social mediaconsumption, limit your news
consumption.
Find somebody you trust.
Remember that you have control.
Find yourself some groundingtechniques, breathing techniques
(26:19):
.
Remember that he will keep youin perfect peace when your mind
is stayed on him.
We will be back in two weeksand we will be talking about
post-traumatic growth.
I hope that you will join usUntil next time.
Say it again you are seen, youare known, you are heard, you
(26:40):
are loved and you are so, sovalued.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
What if all my life I wrestle with my worry and
anxiety?
What if the thorn deep in myside is only there to help me
see that, though I never askedfor it, the desert is God's gift
to me?
What if the world doesn't endwhen the fears come true?
(27:10):
What if we have what we need tomake it through?
There is manna from heaven andmercy's new.
What if God is still here inthe desert?
God is still here in thisdesert.
(27:35):
Oh,
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