About Michele Rosenthal & Heal My PTSD

Michele Rosenthal, CPC, NLP, CHt

Radio Talk Show Host, ‘Changing Direction’

Advisory Board, Hope4PTSDvets.org, St. Clair Butterfly Foundation

Program Director of Health Services, Warriors Pathfinder Program

As seen on or in:

In 1981 life really shocked me: I was 13 years old when I found myself struggling to survive Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome, a freak allergy to a medication that turned me into a full-body burn patient almost overnight. None of my doctors had ever seen a case. By the time I was released from the hospital 3 weeks later I was a very different girl. The kid I had been was gone. The girl in her place was a complete stranger.

It didn’t take long for insomnia, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and flashbacks to set in. I didn’t tell anyone. I was determined to go back to who I’d been before my illness, so I avoided all mention of my trauma, pretended the past was behind me and ran as fast as I could into the future.

Within 5 years I was a complete and total insomniac, anorexic, melt down mess. Over the years everyone thought I was a difficult teenager, and then a temperamental artist, and then just a really moody woman. The therapists my parents forced me to see didn’t recognize my classic symptoms of PTSD.

By my mid-twenties the stress of constant hypervigilance and hyperarousal, the lack of sleep, the unrelenting on-the-go lifestyle I lived so that I did not have to be alone with my thoughts began to entirely undermine my health. By the end of my twenties I was very ill: my hair was falling out, my liver, stomach and small intestines were in various stages of dysfunction. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and possible liver cancer (both of which turned out to be false, psychosomatic symptoms). By my mid-thirties I had developed advanced osteoporosis because, unable to get the nutrition it needed, by body pirated the minerals in my bones.

Still, none of the specialists or psychologists we consulted and with whom I worked recognized my symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress. In desperation I began to do my own research. It was my proactive, self-empowered search for information and help that led to my PTSD diagnosis. Finally, after 24 years of living without understanding what was wrong with me, I had a name for my insanity.

Receiving my diagnosis was only the beginning of my healing journey. Literally, the journey took me from New York City to Palm Beach, Florida. In the end, it required 10 modalities and quite a few practitioners to get me to where I am today: 100% PTSD-free.

Me and my dance partner, John

I learned a lot during my PTSD recovery. I learned about the importance of hope and belief – from inside myself and from those working with me. I also learned about the critical element of self-empowerment and how we can harness its strength and apply it to PTSD recovery.

By the time I came out of the dark PTSD fog I’d learned a lot about what it takes to release the past, connect to the present, and build a new future. I’d also developed a really deep desire to do something with all that knowledge. I began blogging about my recovery; people responded. We got into conversations and I realized that the best thing I could do with what I learned was give back. And so, www.healmyptsd.com was born. I built the site I wished I had when I was diagnosed: something easy to read and full of information about PTSD symptoms, PTSD treatment options, and PTSD recovery support. Read about my personal posttraumamatic stress disorder history and mission.

The response to Heal My PTSD was overwhelming and positive. It didn’t take long for me to understand that this site was only the beginning of my post-PTSD journey. In order to really be equipped to give back I’d have to become professionally certified to help people. So that’s what I did. In order to become a PTSD Coach I studied to practice as a Certified Professional Coach, Certified Hypnotist, and Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programmer. Basically, I learned how to help survivors access their healing potential through methods that empower, strengthen, and harness the creativity of both the conscious and subconscious minds.

Now, as a mental health advocate, professional keynote speaker, award-winning blogger, award-nominated author, workshop/seminar leader and certified professional coach I use my personal experience, education, professional training and research to help survivors learn to cope with, manage and strategize the PTSD recovery process. Geez, I love my job! Partnering with survivors to help them take back their power and learn to live with courage, confidence and imagination gives me a sense of joy as powerful as letting me loose on a dance floor.

Every day I work by phone and Skype with long-distance clients from a small beach town in Florida. For information about how to work with me to access your healing potential for PTSD recovery, click here.

To learn other cool stuff about me, PTSD and survivors making the shift from powerless to powerful, check out the links below.

Wonder what clients and workshop participants think of working with me? Read their PTSD testimonials.

Read an excerpt from my forthcoming PTSD recovery memoir, BEFORE THE WORLD INTRUDED.

Read my posttraumatic stress disorder articles and listen to my radio appearances.

Watch my PTSD YouTube videos that contain coping tips, ideas and suggestions.

Visit my posttraumatic stress disorder press room.

Need a speaker? View my speaker kit for topics that might be right for your audience.

Heal My PTSD was founded in 2009 as an organization whose mission is to advocate for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) awareness, education, treatment and self-empowered healing support.

We are guided by a vision that includes the sponsorship of PTSD awareness campaigns, the development of PTSD educational material, the promotion of PTSD treatment options, and the development of PTSD self-empowered healing methods.

A clearinghouse of resources for all segments of the global PTSD community, Heal My PTSD works in partnership with survivors and survivor supporting organizations to spread the word that PTSD is a treatable condition, that survivors themselves must participate and take responsibility for the healing process, and that recovery is possible.

Volunteers

As a web site for the PTSD community, designed to promote healing of the PTSD community, it’s been only fitting that it be built with help from the PTSD community. Heal My PTSD, LLC, thanks the many survivors who lent their support, information, time and experience to increase the value of the resources on this site.

(Photo: JessicaLorren.com)

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