Show Notes
A hospital saved your life, and now you plan your route so you do not drive past it. That has a name, and the name is medical trauma.
Medical trauma is a trauma response that comes from a medical experience. It can follow an ICU stay, a hard surgery, or an emergency C-section. Post-intensive care syndrome, or PICS, describes new or worsened problems in thinking, mood, and physical function after critical illness.
Full show notes: https://www.biologyoftrauma.com/post/why-do-i-avoid-the-doctor-now-medical-trauma-and-post-intensive-care-syndrome-with-dr-james-jacks
Dr. James Jackson of Vanderbilt co-founded one of the first clinics in the country for survivors of critical illness. He sat on front porches across the South asking people what their life was like after the ICU, and he heard the same story hundreds of times. In this Part 1 conversation with Dr. Aimie, he names the one sign he watches for above all others, why so many doctors have never heard of PICS, and how long recovery actually takes.
This is Part 1 of two. Part 2 is here:
Take the free 2-minute assessment for stored trauma at biologyoftrauma.com/quiz. Find your primary pattern of responding when life becomes too much. You cannot change a pattern you cannot see.
The Biology of Trauma book: biologyoftrauma.com/book
Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma, by Dr. James C. Jackson, PsyD.
Full show notes: https://www.biologyoftrauma.com/post/why-do-i-avoid-the-doctor-now-medical-trauma-and-post-intensive-care-syndrome-with-dr-james-jacks
This content is educational and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. Always consult your own qualified health provider.
Grab your copy of The Biology of Trauma
More from The Biology of Trauma® With Dr. Aimie
You can feel lonely and still not want to be around anyone. What will surprise you is that inflammation itself can create a feeling of disconnection.
A hard start in life can still be shaping your gut decades later. What will surprise you is that your gut microbes can sense when you are stressed.
Emotions held down for decades are still shaping your body. What will surprise you is that the way back can start with one finger.
Pain that no test has fully explained is still real pain. What will surprise you is that the brain decides whether to turn on pain, and emotional danger counts.
Your body reacts to everything and you want to fix it fast. What will surprise you is that the most common first step, a detox, may be what makes you worse.