Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Health, and Science for Women 35+ Ep. 507 Feel Disconnected? The Most Overlooked Symptom of Childhood Trauma & How to Heal It with Anna Runkle
Oct 8, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Anna Runkle, known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy, shares her personal journey of overcoming childhood trauma and complex PTSD. She explains the haunting sense of disconnection many experience as a result of early trauma, diving into the nuances between complex PTSD and standard PTSD. Anna illustrates how emotional dysregulation manifests in daily life, and she offers practical tools like writing and meditation to help individuals reconnect with themselves and others, especially during challenging transitions like menopause.
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Trauma Storm And Turning Point
- Anna Runkle described a trauma storm where an adult street attack reactivated lifelong childhood trauma and nearly led to suicide.
- She recounts therapy and meds worsening dysregulation until a friend taught her a different writing+meditation approach that saved her.
CPTSD Is A Chronic Developmental Injury
- Complex PTSD arises from chronic, repeated stress often beginning in childhood and produces persistent dysregulation.
- Naming CPTSD removed shame for Anna and reframed her behaviors as normal responses rather than moral failings.
Use Writing Plus Meditation Daily
- Try the combined practice Anna learned: a specific expressive writing followed by meditation to re-regulate stress responses.
- She reports rapid improvement in PTSD and depression after committing to that daily routine.
