High Functioning But Hurting: Why I Used Psychedelics to Heal Childhood Trauma - Katie Baker

What happens when you spend your entire life outrunning childhood trauma by being the "perfect" mom, wife, and professional—until the mask finally falls off?Katie Baker, author of *When The Universe Holds Your Hair Back*, shares her raw and unflinching journey from high-functioning survival mode to hitting rock bottom in her late 40s. She opens up about the devastating moment her teenage son called her out on her drinking, and how that confrontation forced her to finally face the pain she had been numbing for decades.This episode dives into the FailCraft theme of breaking cycles before they break you. Katie discusses the exhausting reality of being "emotionally bankrupt", why perfectionism is actually a trauma response, and how therapeutic psychedelics helped her access deep healing when traditional talk therapy failed.In this episode of FailCraft, you’ll discover:* The Wake-Up Call: The family reunion intervention that shattered Katie's "perfect" facade.* Why high-functioning people are often the most emotionally numb.* The Trap of Perfectionism: How staying busy is just another way to hide.* Psychedelic Therapy: Why plant medicine forces you to face the root of your trauma.* The fear of judgment: Writing a memoir and coming clean to a community that thought she was "fine".* Why it is never too late to heal (even at 50, or 73 like Katie's mother).* Katie's definition of true success: Being whole and returning to joy.This episode is for anyone who looks successful on the outside but feels empty on the inside, trauma survivors seeking alternative healing methods, or anyone who feels like it’s "too late" to change their story.Connect With Katie Baker:* Website: https://www.peaceandfirehealing.com/* Book: When The Universe Holds Your Hair Back (Available on Amazon, Audible, Spotify)Chapters:00:00 Hook: The Family Reunion Intervention01:07 Introduction: Katie Baker & The "Perfect" Facade01:39 The Rock Bottom: Hiding Pain in Plain Sight03:36 The Devastation of Becoming "Emotionally Bankrupt"05:05 Addiction & Perfectionism as Survival Tools06:16 When The Universe Holds Your Hair Back (The Book)08:17 How Therapeutic Psychedelics Differ from Traditional Therapy09:46 The Fear of Judgment & Overcoming Shame12:06 Advice for the Hurting: Question Your Own Stories13:36 Katie's Definition of True Success14:50 How to Connect & Get the Book