Unbroken: The Stories Our Bodies Carry with Dr. Karyn Shanks

What if your body isn’t broken, and the symptoms you’ve been fighting are actually trying to tell you something?Physician, author, and educator Dr. Karyn Shanks joins Giving Pain Purpose for a powerful conversation about chronic illness, trauma, the nervous system, and what it means to stop seeing ourselves as problems that need to be fixed.Together, Dr. Shanks and Lyndsay explore how our experiences can shape the way our bodies respond to the world, why creating a sense of safety matters, and how curiosity and self-compassion can change the way we approach healing. They unpack the frustration of living with symptoms that don’t always come with clear answers and the emotional toll of feeling disconnected from—or even betrayed by—your own body.Dr. Shanks shares her holistic perspective on healing, bringing together science, psychology, and lived experience to challenge the belief that illness means something within us has failed.At the heart of this conversation is a powerful shift in perspective: instead of constantly asking, “What’s wrong with me?” what happens when we begin asking, “What is my body trying to tell me?”For anyone living with chronic illness, navigating trauma, or searching for answers after feeling dismissed or defeated, this episode is a reminder that you are more than your symptoms, and healing may begin when you stop fighting your body and start listening to it.Episode Highlights:(00:00) Introduction to Dr. Karyn Shanks and the show's focus(01:53) The disconnect in modern medicine and the root of trauma(04:12) Dr. Shanks' personal health journey and realization(06:53) Understanding the body's organization and response to trauma(10:59) The importance of listening to the body's messages(15:00) Pain and suffering as portals for healing(18:04) The role of safety and connection in recovery(21:55) Holistic, systemic approach to chronic illness(24:00) The significance of storytelling and safety in healing(27:49) Western medicine's limitations and the need for integration(29:58) Closing thoughts and resourcesFind Dr. Karyn Shanks Online Here:Website: karynshanksmd.comInstagram: @karynshanksmdFacebook: Karyn Shanks MDLinkedIn: Karen Shanks, MDBook: UnBroken: Reclaim Your WholenessFind Giving Pain Purpose Online Here:Website: givingpainpurpose.comInstagram: @givingpainpurposeFacebook: The Giving Pain Purpose PodcastLinkedIn: Lyndsay SopranoYouTube: @givingpainpurposeShop: thegivingpainpurposeshop.comSubscribe on YouTube | Merch Shop is OPEN!! | COMING SOON: The Pain Hub - A Women's Healing Community. Subscribe Now!Unfiltered convos. Dark humor. Real healing. This is where pain meets purpose — and you’re not doing it alone.++Want to be a guest on Giving Pain Purpose with Lyndsay Soprano? Send her a message on PodMatch, here: Be a Guest on The Show