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How Adversity Shapes Health & Why It's Not In Your Head

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Working with Symptoms

Working with chronic illness by healing complex PTSD through play

Healing Complex PTSD and Chronic Illness through Play

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · July 24, 2026 · 2 Comments

I recently had the impulse to use play as a way to invite more support for healing complex PTSD and attachment trauma that are getting stimulated as I take over my mother's financial and personal life because she is losing self-agency due to dementia. Painting is a big resource for me that I rarely ...

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When a Resource Whispers During Challenging Times

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · June 10, 2026 · 6 Comments

I recently followed the whisper of an impulse to take a 2 hour online painting class. I've been experiencing overwhelm and a lot of painful feelings as I support my 92 year-old mother who has been developing dementia, and I didn't feel like painting. But I know it can be fun for me. I didn't quite ...

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Chronic Illness and Survival States - horses can help us feel what is hidden that enables us to begin to reemerge out of freeze and back into feelings of aliveness. A gentle process for healing chronic physical and mental health conditions by working with trauma. Horses track if we are unaware of running adrenaline on the inside and not “calm” like on the outside. "When we disconnect from our bodies, horses wonder, "Where did they go?" with Jane Strong, SEP, IFS trained co-founder and co-director of The Equus Effect, a nonprofit organization in Connecticut that provides practical tools for mental and emotional well-being to men and women who live and work in high stress environments.

Chronic Illness and Survival States: Healing Trauma with Horses

Veronique Mead MD MA SEP and Jane Strong SEP and IFS Trained · October 11, 2025 · Leave a Comment

Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) Jane Strong shared the working images in this post so I could show you what so often goes unseen in chronic illness and survival states. Jane is co-founder and co-director of The Equus Effect in Connecticut, a non-profit organization that provides practical ...

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Hidden Wounds Podcast trauma anger in chronic illness

An Unexpected Approach for Triggers and Anger in Chronic Illness (Podcast)

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · August 9, 2025 · 2 Comments

This was a moving podcast for me. One the Ven. Sucandra's questions took me to a vulnerable place I haven't shared in public before and I cried as I felt the grief of a caregiving experience I'm having this year (starts at 29:06 minutes). You can download the transcript for this podcast at the ...

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Gentle tools and 5 trauma informed exercises and resources for chronic illness in challenging times

Chronic Illness Resources for Challenging Times

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · January 11, 2025 · 2 Comments

There is a lot going on in the world these days and for many of us, a lot also going in our bodies and back yards. My heart goes out to those of you in California who have lost so much with the fires and here's a deeply supportive post with tips from someone who went through this in 2018. And my ...

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Blog Feature 3 Books I Recommend for 2025 healing trauma and chronic illness

Three Books for Healing Trauma and Chronic Illness in 2025

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · January 6, 2025 · 2 Comments

Hello and a gentle welcome to this New Year "full of things that have never been" (Rilke). One of my activities over the holidays was to read and I have 3 books to recommend to you that provide practical tips, exercises and case examples, and variety in their approaches, writing styles and content. ...

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16 Trauma informed tools for healing chronic illness and nervous system perceptions of threat Veronique Mead, MD, MA at Chronic Illness Trauma Studies

16 Trauma Informed Tools for Healing Chronic Illness and Addressing Nervous System Perceptions of Threat

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · November 17, 2024 · 12 Comments

These are some of the most helpful things we can do to counteract nervous system perceptions of threat that drive our symptoms of chronic illness, chronic pain and mental health conditions and that we don't typically learn about through traditional medical care (yet!). I have rewritten this post to ...

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8 Antidotes to Trauma When Chronic Illness Symptoms Worsen Blog Post by Veronique Mead MD MA

8 Antidotes to Trauma When Chronic Illness Symptoms Worsen

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · October 13, 2024 · 10 Comments

I've been more tired in the past year and a half. What's been helpful is just how much difference it makes to have an understanding of trauma. It makes it easier for me to recognize what is happening, to have more patience, and to have more self-compassion. These are eight easily underestimated ...

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12 Tips for Pendulating in Trauma and Chronic Illness and Why It's not All Work All the time Veronique Mead, MD MA SEP PPNP

12 Tips for Pendulating in Trauma and Chronic Illness So It’s Not “All Work” (Response to a Reader Question)

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · April 2, 2024 · 2 Comments

A reader recently expressed something that has also come up in a recent consult. Many, and likely most of us, experience this at least some of the time when living with chronic symptoms: a level of exhaustion with the struggle, the amount of effort and work and time it takes for this chronic illness ...

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