S2E7: Medical Trauma Brain: Healing After the Illness Is Over

Welcome back to the Dr. Kinney Show! In this episode, I’m joined by Amy Kurtz, health coach, patient advocate, and author of But You Look Fine: Trapped in the Hell Between Sick and Well and How to Break Free. Amy shares her decades-long journey with chronic illness, misdiagnosis, and eventually receiving a diagnosis of late stage neurological Lyme disease and co-infections after seeing 36 doctors. But even after her physical health improved, she realized another part of healing had been overlooked: her brain and nervous system were still acting as if she were in danger. That experience led Amy to develop the term Medical Trauma Brain, which describes the emotional and psychological aftermath that can remain after living through debilitating chronic or acute illness. In this episode, we discuss: Amy’s journey with chronic symptoms beginning at age 14 What it was like to spend years searching for answers and being told her tests looked normal The emotional, financial, and physical toll of seeing doctor after doctor Finally receiving a diagnosis of late stage neurological Lyme disease and co-infections Why getting the right diagnosis can bring both relief and grief What Amy means by Medical Trauma Brain Why the body can heal while the mind and nervous system remain stuck in survival mode The hypervigilance and fear that can remain after years of illness Why even a small symptom can make someone fear that everything is coming back How medical gaslighting can cause patients to lose trust in their own bodies Why finding a provider who listens and makes you feel safe is so important The difference between being physically better and truly feeling like yourself again Why healing from illness can include grieving the life you thought you were going to have How chronic illness can make it difficult to stay present even after the physical crisis has passed Why nervous system regulation can be an important part of the recovery process The importance of learning to feel safe in your body again Why rest, boundaries, support, and self-advocacy matter during recovery Simple practices Amy and I use to help calm the nervous system Why consistency matters more than finding one perfect regulation technique One of the most powerful ideas in this conversation is that healing does not always end when the illness does. You can be grateful that your body is doing better and still grieve what you went through. You can physically recover and still feel anxious, hypervigilant, or disconnected from yourself. Those experiences do not cancel each other out. If you have ever felt like everyone around you thinks you should be “fine” because your illness is over, this conversation is a reminder that the aftermath deserves care too. Guided Meditation Resource I mention BrainTap by Dr. Patrick Porter and a guided meditation called “I Am a Personal Success Magnet,” which I have used consistently for years. Because I’ve trained my brain to associate that meditation with relaxation, even listening to the beginning of it can help signal to my nervous system that it is time to calm down. Search for BrainTap by Dr. Patrick Porter and “I Am a Personal Success Magnet” to explore the meditation mentioned in this episode. Connect with Amy Kurtz Visit https://www.amykurtz.com/ to learn more about Amy, take her Patient Persona Quiz, and explore her work. Follow Amy on Instagram at @_amykurtz. But You Look Fine: Trapped in the Hell Between Sick and Well and How to Break Free is available wherever books are sold. Connect with Dr. Kinney Explore resources, tools, and more from Dr. Erin Kinney: https://www.drerinkinney.com/ Take the free Cortisol Debt Score and discover where you stand: https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cort... Learn more about my latest book, The Cortisol Cure: https://www.drerinkinney.com/the-cort... Join The Cortisol Cure Community https://www.drerinkinney.com/cortisol...