Author: jessicawoodville
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Daring to Dream Again: Finding Hope After Trauma
For a long time, I didn’t let myself dream. Survival was the only goal. Dreaming still feels dangerous—like setting myself up for disappointment or failure. When you’ve spent years just trying to make it through the day, the idea of planning for a future, of imagining a life beyond the next crisis, feels foreign. Maybe…
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Why Rest Is Revolutionary for Trauma Survivors
“Pay mind to your own life, your own health, and wholeness. A bleeding heart is of no help to anyone if it bleeds to death.” Frederick Buechner About a week before publishing my memoir, my body reminded me who was really in charge. A health flare-up hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me alone…
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Letting Go of the Fear of Being Seen: A Survivor’s Journey to Visibility
For most of my life, I was conditioned to believe that being seen was dangerous. When you grow up in a household where truth is inconvenient, where survival depends on keeping up appearances, you learn to hide—not just from others, but from yourself. I learned this lesson young. Narcissistic parents have a way of controlling…
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A Journey Not Just of Distance, But of the Heart
Just the other day, as I was finalizing my memoir for publication, I found myself thinking a lot about family—particularly my grandparents. At 40 years old, I feel incredibly fortunate that they are all still alive. It’s a gift I don’t take lightly, especially after recently learning that my unofficial godparents, Alice and Charlie, had…
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Trying to Heal When You Can’t Afford to Break
Healing from trauma is a challenging journey, often hindered by financial, emotional, and environmental barriers. Survivors face high costs for therapy and alternative treatments, lacking adequate support systems. The process can feel disheartening as they navigate exploitation and limited options. Ultimately, healing should be accessible to all, not a privilege.
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Braving the Unknown: My Path to Living Fully
My memoir ends on a hopeful note, but also a realistic one—life is still hard. My physical health continues to be a challenge, but for the first time in a long time, my mental health is stronger (in some ways) than it has ever been. Not because I’ve disconnected from my past but because I…
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Why the ACEs Study Changed Everything: A Breakdown of the Research
Let’s talk about one of the most important yet criminally underrated studies of our time: the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. If you haven’t heard of it, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Despite its groundbreaking findings, it somehow never got the same PR treatment as, say, the Kardashians. But trust me, this study has shaped everything…
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I Am My Own Authority: On Imposter Syndrome, Trauma, and Fighting for Survivors
The author reflects on overcoming imposter syndrome to share their story of trauma and resilience, despite lacking formal qualifications. They emphasize the importance of lived experience and extensive research in writing their memoir. Acknowledging the impact of their past on their children, they are committed to breaking the cycle of trauma.
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Healing, but Still Hijacked: The Nervous System’s Betrayal
Healing is a nonlinear process, marked by ongoing battles with trauma and a body conditioned by past stress responses. Despite stabilizing adrenal function, my nervous system struggles with interpreting joy as danger. I’m learning to manage this response through pacing, grounding techniques, and reframing my experience, embracing healing’s complexities.
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When Your Body Rebels Against Your Biggest Moment
The day my proof copies of my memoir arrived should have been one of the happiest days of my life. And for a moment, it was. I had felt the anticipation and excitement building for days—so much so that I could barely sleep the night before. But what I didn’t realize was that what I…
Jessica Woodville | Memoir & Musings 