Speak Loud

Joining me today is Gina Rolkowski, who believes because you’ve been traumatized, doesn’t mean you can’t lead a purposeful life. She talks about how trauma victims have a choice, how we can be mindfully aware of what is going on in our minds and bodies, and how to take back control of our lives.Reliving Trauma and Repeating the PatternGrowing up experiencing sexual abuse as a child, Gina didn’t remember her experience until her 40’s. At age six, she had chronic stomach aches, and her doctor told her parents she was doing it for the attention. Then, at 14, she had issues with her period and started having seizures. Looking back, she realizes that the seizures were part of emotional defense and overload from her abuse. Getting pregnant at 19, she married an abusive husband. She divorced her husband and experienced severe PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Next, Gina turned to illegal drugs and alcohol to soothe her emotional trauma. Her doctors gave her a cocktail of drugs for her symptoms, which didn’t change the