513: Coming Out of The Poverty. External Validation, and PTSD Closet– Sara Church

Sara Church, author of the new book Mending My Mind, spent much of her childhood living below the poverty level.  Her mother was a crystal meth addict. One summer she lived in a tent. This caused her severe, constant anxiety and distress.

Filled with shame, she became hooked on receiving external validation as she grew older through both her studies and ultimately, her career.  She put herself through college by working two jobs.  She got her graduate degree at night.  Today, she’s a successful biotech executive.

But hard work wasn’t all it took for her to get there: she also needed to overcome the trauma that her childhood poverty and parental addiction led to.  The trauma nearly destroyed her chance at happiness despite her professional success.

Ultimately, through a journey of self-exploration and with the help of therapy, Sara was able to heal and retrain her mind — and reap true satisfaction from both her career and her personal life.

About Sara

Sara Church is a biotech executive and an advocate for mental health. At age forty, upon discovering that she was suffering from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), Sara embarked on a quest to understand and overcome the condition holding her back in her personal relationships so she could live a more fulfilling life. Her book, Mending My Mind, began as a journal she kept during that process and her children’s book, A Giraffe Named Monroe, is a tale about resilience and kindness. Today she continues to transform her own Complex PTSD into a force for love and strength. She enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, reading, and traveling.

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