E3: Re-Building A Sense of Self-Worth After Trauma And Domestic Abuse - Natasha Ching

11/15/22 • 167 min

Natasha Ching is an 84+ kg open powerlifter from Nova Scotia, Canada. Local lifters would know her as the former NSPL president while others may know her as a national level CPU referee. In this episode, Natasha opens up about her experience with being identified as a high anxiety gifted child at 8 years old, her trauma stemming from the passing of two of her mother figures at nine years old, and her experience of being in an emotionally and financially abusive relationship in her 20s. Then we go in depth about Natasha re-built her sense of self and self-worth through lifting weights after a lifetime of having it depend on either being gifted or being with a toxic partner. We also talk about how she developed and fixed her unhealthy relationship with powerlifting. As a long-time veteran in the sport, Natasha gives advice on how to achieve longevity in powerlifting and how to get started if you’re new to it.

Topics:
- How being president of the NSPL during the pandemic affected Natasha’s mental health
- Sky rocketing anxiety during the pandemic
- Being identified as a high anxiety gifted child
- Developing anxiety around pressure to be exceptional at everything
- Trauma of passings of mother and aunt
- Developing dissociative disorder
- Wanting to start fresh at university
- Emotionally and financially abusive relationship
- Realised she had to leave when she started exhibiting physical symptoms
- Message from Natasha to anyone who is wanting to get out of an abusive relationship
- Drawn to lifting weights after leaving abusive relationship
- Over-reliance on powerlifting
- Powerlifting is not therapy!
- Self-worth is not dependent on your performance
- Three types of self-confidence
- Strong vs weak competitive drive - everyone needs to hear this
- The biggest thing Natasha learned through powerlifting: how to “enact calm”
- Number one advice if you want to start powerlifting
- Achieving longevity in powerlifting - check your ego and recovering from injuries
- Closing questions

Natasha Ching:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/natty_ching/

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Natasha Ching:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/natty_ching/

Go to https://betterhelp.com/norestrictions for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

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Previous Episode

E2: Powerlifting for Anxiety & ADHD - Men Need To Start Speaking Up - Jamie MacDonald

Jamie MacDonald is a -93 kg open powerlifter from Nova Scotia, Canada. You may know him as the announcer at local NS meets, the social media officer for Nova Scotia Powerlifting, or as the guy who always competes in a pink and black outfit. In this episode, Jamie shares with us his experience with depression, anxiety and the catalytic mental health crisis that eventually led to an ADHD diagnosis and starting therapy at 32 years old. We discuss the mental health benefits of powerlifting from the ADHD and anxiety perspectives and touch on the topic of toxic masculinity in the lifting sphere. If you’re looking to get started or have recently started in the sport, I highly recommend you listen to this episode. Jamie offers different perspectives on powerlifting that most powerlifters don’t talk about.

Topics:

Why do you wear pink?
Emergency room visit for mental health crisis
Fight or flight response & lifting
Struggling with depression and anxiety at the same time
Support from work, friends and family
Becoming more open about talking about mental health
Difficulty finding a therapist through the NS mental health system - don’t give up!
Finally receiving an ADHD diagnosis at 32 years old
ADHD symptoms in hindsight - symptoms that were missed
Transitioning to powerlifting from martial arts/combat sports
How powerlifting helps with ADHD and anxiety
Therapeutic effects of competing - CBT, catastrophizing, ADHD brain chemistry
Competing is fun!
Growing powerlifting as a sport - advice for getting started you need to hear
Toxic masculinity and powerlifting
Final messages for you from Jamie
Closing questions

Jamie MacDonald:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/gorillamac/

Nova Scotia Powerlifting:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/novascotiapowerlifting/
Visit: https://sites.google.com/view/novascotiapowerlifting/

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Next Episode

E4: Healing Lifelong PTSD & Reclaiming Life Through Powerlifting - Lanie Bishop

Lanie Bishop is an 84+ kg open powerlifter from Alberta, Canada. You may also know her as a national level CPU referee, pole dancer and Twitch streamer. Lanie is vocal about her mental health on social media, but in this episode, she goes even deeper and tells us the untold story of her PTSD and an abusive relationship that came to a head at IPF Worlds in 2018. Growing up in conservative, rural Alberta as a mixed-race and LGBTQ+ person, Lanie endured many challenges including two cases of sexual assault that sparked an 18-year long war in her mind until she finally sought the help she needed. We discuss what PTSD is really like and just how destructive it is on one’s livelihood if left untreated. 2018 was the year Lanie calls “traumafest” and you will come to fully understand why when you listen to her story. For Lanie, powerlifting helped her reclaim her life through the immensely positive mental health benefits and the incredibly supportive powerlifting community during and after the events of “traumafest.”

Topics:

Growing up in conservative, rural Alberta
- Challenges from growing up - racism, othering, discrimination
- Sexual assaults at four years old
- What is PTSD?
- What is it like having PTSD?
- How destructive PTSD can be left untreated
- Fear of getting a diagnosis
- Coping with untreated PTSD
- Treatment approach for PTSD
- Abusive relationship during PTSD treatment resulting in third case of PTSD
- Using powerlifting as an escape
- How powerlifting helps with PTSD symptoms
- Toxic mentality around powerlifting imposed by abusive ex
- “Traumafest” in 2018: abuse ramping up and coming to a head during and at CPU Nationals and IPF Worlds in Alberta and continued abuse after IPF Worlds
- Incredibly supportive powerlifting community helping Lanie get back on her feet
- Lanie worried she wouldn’t be able to come back to powerlifting
- Overcoming “traumafest” through powerlifting and community support
- Closing questions

Lanie Bishop:
IG: @mintowls

Go to https://betterhelp.com/norestrictions for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored

Support No Restrictions Podcast by purchasing No Restrictions Apparel! Use code NORESTRICTIONSPOD to get 10% off your order! Or use link: https://norestrictionsapparel.com/?ref=norestrictionspod

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