You Can Be Okay: Medical Trauma, Avoidance, and the Path Forward with Dr. Jim Jackson

Medical trauma is real. Millions of people are living with it. And most of them don't even have a name for it yet.In this episode, Sarah sits down with Dr. Jim Jackson, neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt University and author of Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma, for a deeply human conversation about what medical trauma actually looks like, why avoidance is so much more dangerous than we realize, and why you don't have to be symptom-free to live a meaningful life.Dr. Jackson has spent over 25 years working with ICU survivors, long COVID patients, and people navigating the aftermath of life-altering medical experiences. He brings both clinical expertise and his own lived experience with OCD to a conversation that is honest, warm, and genuinely hopeful.In this episode, you'll hear:Why medical trauma is "hiding in plain sight" and what it costs people to not have a name for itHow avoidance quietly shrinks your world (and what actually helps you move through it)What acceptance and commitment therapy offers people who can't imagine returning to medical careThe "beach ball in the pool" approach to distressing symptomsWhy shame keeps people stuck, and how to begin gently moving out of itJim's own story of being diagnosed with OCD and what it taught him about healing without a cureWhy post-traumatic growth isn't about gratitude, it's about finding a new opportunityResources mentioned:Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma by Dr. Jim Jackson (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold, including an audio version)ICU Recovery Center at Vanderbilt UniversityCritical Illness Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center at VanderbiltMedical Trauma Support Circle: https://your-bc-befriend.mn.co/landing/medicaltraumasupport.orgThe Medical Trauma Support Podcast is a human-centered, nervous-system-informed space for anyone whose relationship with their body, safety, and trust has been shaped by medical experiences. Because your experience deserves recognition.