297: Deconstructing Trauma + Chronic Skin Problems w/ MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD

The Healthy Skin Show

I'm over the moon to share today's interview! My guest today authored one of the first trauma books I truly enjoyed reading, and I think the book makes sense to the average person; it's not like a difficult-to-read textbook at all. Not to mention, she is the first expert on trauma that agreed to come on the show!

MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD is a research professor and life coach who specializes in the psychology of trauma, stress, and resilience. She has been researching, lecturing, and publishing on the neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience of trauma and stress since beginning her PhD in 2009. She is passionate about destigmatizing trauma, stress, and mental health issues in general, as well as reframing our understanding of trauma to better understand and treat it.

She's also the author of Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong: And Other Things You Need to Know to Take Back Your Life -- which I've personally read + give five stars on!

Have you ever felt trauma when dealing with the health system surrounding your skin condition? Have you considered how past trauma may be playing a role in your health! Please share with me in the comments!

In this episode:

• When does the trauma response kick in?
• How trauma shows the body's strength NOT weakness
• Understanding your brain's "filing system"
• What constitutes trauma + how the definition has changed
• How to think about skin picking
• When is it time to seek help in processing trauma or unprocessed emotions?
• Strategy to actively develop hope (even if you don't feel hopeful now)

Quotes

"To be traumatized was to be feminine and weak and disordered. And then when soldiers started coming home with those same symptoms, researchers were like, "OK, well, it's obviously not the uterus," but we still carried with it that idea of shame and feminine weakness." [05:36]

"You go to the medical community, and then unfortunately sometimes, for whatever reason, you are dismissed, and you are told it's all in your head, right? By the way, if it's in your head, it's in your body." [18:33]

Links

Find Dr. McDonald online | Instagram | TikTok

Get her book -- Unbroken: The Trauma Response Is Never Wrong: And Other Things You Need to Know to Take Back Your Life

Healthy Skin Show ep. 162: Loss + Trauma Associated With Topical Steroid Withdrawal w/ Kathryn Tullos

Healthy Skin Show ep. 029: Is Trauma A Root Cause For Your Skin Rashes? w/ Dr. Keesha Ewers

Healthy Skin Show ep. 087: Skin Picking Triggered By Chronic Skin Rashes