In this episode, I’m joined by Suzanne Ludlum of Trinity Yoga Therapy. Suzanne joins me to share her story of how she’s been able to rise above the darkness of depression after suffering multiple devastating losses to become an advocate for those struggling as she once did.
Click the play button below to check it out!
The Details
Traumatic experience:
Suzanne grew up thinking her family was normal even though her parents were alcoholics. When she moved out at 19, Suzanne looked back and saw how dysfunctional her family life had been. And then when Suzanne was in her twenties, she experienced multiple devastating loses, leaving Suzanne and her much younger brother alone. Suzanne joined what ended up being a religious cult; when she left, she sought counseling and was eventually sexually assaulted by the psychiatrist. She had her first suicide attempt not long after.
Effects of the traumatic experience:
Suzanne had no emotional support and felt totally alone in the world. Her long term relationship with the father of her daughter turned toxic over time. Suzanne suffered from intense depression and anxiety.
Overcoming the traumatic experience:
When Suzanne had a devastating psychotic break, she was hospitalized for the eighth time. After being stabilized, Suzanne came to the conclusion that her daughter and brother needed her and that she needed to break the cycle of depression and dysfunction.
Six months into her recovery, Suzanne’s brother committed suicide, dealing a massive blow, but because she was already on a journey to self-healing, she started working harder on her healing than before and endeavored to also develop strong friendships to sustain her.
Four years into her recovery, Suzanne checked out a yoga class as an outlet for stress and discovered that it helped alleviate her residual anger, beginning a new stage of healing and helping to heal others.
What Suzanne does today: Suzanne is a Certified Yoga Therapist, an advocate for suicide prevention, a public speaker, and an author.
Final Question:
Given what you know now, if you could go back to when you were going through the tough times and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Suzanne's Answer: Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right. Also, there is no shame in asking for help.
Links Mentioned:
trinityyogatherapy.com - Suzanne's yoga therapy website
animperfectpilgrim.com - Suzanne's website for her book
An Imperfect Pilgrim - Suzanne's book on Amazon
Social Media Mentioned
How to contact Suzanne
Email | Phone: 540-841-2790
Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you, and I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.
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