Health Anxiety w/ Amanda Griffith-Atkins, LMFT (Rebroadcast)
07/27/23 • 56 min
So many of us have experienced trauma related to our children’s health and safety. So, it’s no wonder that we get thrown into a frenzy and our adrenaline pumps anytime our child gets sick or seems off in some way. Our bodies anticipate danger and additional traumatic events even if we logically know they are safe, or we don’t have enough information to conclude anything yet, or that situations are different now.
In this episode, rare mom and LMFT Amanda Griffith-Atkins and I discuss ways that we have experienced health anxiety as well as what is happening on a psychological level. We also talk about the similar stress-response we experience in anticipation for specialist appointments. She shares ways we can cope with these trauma responses and teaches us to give ourselves generous helpings of self-compassion.
*This is a rebroadcast of one of my favorite episodes of The Rare Life for you to listen to while we work on production for season 8, coming in August! If you’d like to discuss this episode with other members of The Rare Life community, we’ll be holding two different meetings run by our amazing group facilitators every Tuesday at 8pm in PST &CST. Fill out our contact form to get the Skype link each week!*
Links:
Sign up to get an invitation for our community discussions every Tuesday during the off-season!
Check out our sponsor Aeroflow Urology for incontinence supplies.
Follow Amanda’s Instagram account.
Check out Amanda’s therapist directory.
Follow Madeline on Instagram.
Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.
Donate to the podcast via Buy Me a Coffee.
Contact me about sponsoring the podcast.
Follow the Facebook page.
Access the transcript on the website here.
And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!
So many of us have experienced trauma related to our children’s health and safety. So, it’s no wonder that we get thrown into a frenzy and our adrenaline pumps anytime our child gets sick or seems off in some way. Our bodies anticipate danger and additional traumatic events even if we logically know they are safe, or we don’t have enough information to conclude anything yet, or that situations are different now.
In this episode, rare mom and LMFT Amanda Griffith-Atkins and I discuss ways that we have experienced health anxiety as well as what is happening on a psychological level. We also talk about the similar stress-response we experience in anticipation for specialist appointments. She shares ways we can cope with these trauma responses and teaches us to give ourselves generous helpings of self-compassion.
*This is a rebroadcast of one of my favorite episodes of The Rare Life for you to listen to while we work on production for season 8, coming in August! If you’d like to discuss this episode with other members of The Rare Life community, we’ll be holding two different meetings run by our amazing group facilitators every Tuesday at 8pm in PST &CST. Fill out our contact form to get the Skype link each week!*
Links:
Sign up to get an invitation for our community discussions every Tuesday during the off-season!
Check out our sponsor Aeroflow Urology for incontinence supplies.
Follow Amanda’s Instagram account.
Check out Amanda’s therapist directory.
Follow Madeline on Instagram.
Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.
Donate to the podcast via Buy Me a Coffee.
Contact me about sponsoring the podcast.
Follow the Facebook page.
Access the transcript on the website here.
And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!
Previous Episode
To Those Who Cannot Say, “I Wouldn’t Have Them Any Other Way.” (Rebroadcast)
I am definitely one of them. Hearing other parents of children with disabilities say adages like this one has always made me squirm inside because it’s simply untrue to me. I would have Kimball another way—free from pain and suffering. But I’ve realized a trend—the parents saying this phrase were almost always parents to children with disabilities that do not cause pain or suffering in and of themselves. And are certainly not life-shortening.
In this solo episode, I divide out disabilities and medical issues into those two categories—ones that cause suffering and the ones that do not. And I suggest that we accept that we will probably always hate those in the first category (because what parent loves something that causes their child pain) and move towards acceptance and love for those disabilities in the latter group.
I also acknowledge that the sadness or pain we have over any of these disabilities or medical issues always stems from the love we have for our children.
*This is a rebroadcast of one of my favorite episodes of The Rare Life for you to listen to while we work on production for season 8, coming in August! If you’d like to discuss this episode with other members of The Rare Life community, we’ll be holding two different meetings run by our amazing group facilitators every Tuesday at 8pm in PST &CST. Fill out our contact form to get the Skype link each week!*
Links:
Sign up to get an invitation for our community discussions every Tuesday during the off-season!
Support your mental health and this podcast by checking out our sponsor BetterHelp for licensed online counseling.
Solo episode about Wendy and our huge struggle together.
Ep. 13: Feeding Tube Adventures.
Follow Madeline on Instagram.
Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.
Donate to the podcast via Buy Me a Coffee.
Contact me about sponsoring the podcast.
Follow the Facebook page.
Access the transcript on the website here.
And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!
Next Episode
128: Season 8 Kickoff | a New Theme, Sneak Peeks of Brand-new Episodes + a 9-Month Secret Revealed w/ Brittany Steitz
We’re kicking off another season (number 8!!), and we’re coming in hot with a super exciting update about The Rare Life. Brittany Steitz joins me as we share about a major update that we’ve been working on for NINE MONTHS now, and it’s truly an honor to share it with all of you.
As with each kickoff episode, I’m also sharing a little glimpse into the topics we’re diving into this season (we’ve got some heavy ones, but we’re balancing it out with content that’ll make these tough topics easier to digest), the season’s theme, and snippets of the first four episodes.
Plus, a reminder that the discussion groups are here to stay! You all seem to love them so much, and we’re so excited to be able to offer a space for you to meet and form relationships with over parents of disabled and medically complex kiddos. Meetings will be held every other Tuesday, with two times to choose from, with one group meeting at 8pm CST and one at 8pm PST.
I’m so excited about this new season. Can’t wait to dive in with you!
Links:
Fill out our contact form to get a reminder about upcoming discussion meetings and the Skype link to join!
Follow me on Instagram!
Donate to the podcast or Contact me about sponsoring an episode.
Follow the Facebook page.
Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.
Access the transcript on the website here.
And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!
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