Author Archives: Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

About Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

Former tall ship sailor turned trauma awareness activist-artist Shay Seaborne, CPTSD has studied the neurobiology of fear / trauma /PTSD since 2015. She writes, speaks, teaches, and makes art to convey her experiences as well as her understanding of the neurobiology of fear, trauma theory, and principles of trauma recovery. A native of Northern Virginia, Shay settled in Delaware to sail KALMAR NYCKEL, the state’s tall ship. She wishes everyone could recognize PTSD is not a mental health problem, but a neurophysiological condition rooted in dysregulation, our mainstream culture is neuro-negative, and we need to understand we can heal ourselves and each other through awareness, understanding, and safe connection.

The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Future Kids

If you’re thinking about having children someday, you might picture giving them love, stability, guidance, and maybe a few cherished traditions. But one gift shapes all the others: your own cohesive life story. A cohesive narrative means you can look … Continue reading

Posted in Family | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rupture and Repair: How Breaks in Trust Can Be a Doorway to Something Better

Recently, I had a rupture repair session with one of my most trusted healthcare practitioners. About ten days before, we had a misattunement rupture when he dismissed what I said about my lived experience. I told him I was struggling, … Continue reading

Posted in Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Conservatism’s War on Human Health

The current form of American so-called conservatism, particularly as it has evolved under Trumpism and aligned with far-right movements, is so biologically adverse in that it promotes conditions that undermine human nervous system regulation, relational safety, and social well-being. This … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering the Kind of Man My Father Was

When I was nine years old, my mother took my siblings and me–and the contents of the marital bank account–and fled. She was trying to protect herself and her children from her husband, who was highly narcissistic and abusive to … Continue reading

Posted in Family | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unhoused by Design: Trauma, Culture, and Survival

The Trump administration’s attacks on unhoused people have drawn intense controversy, and for good reason. Instead of addressing the structural causes of homelessness, like skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages, inaccessible healthcare, and systems that fail to support trauma recovery, the focus … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Answer is Always “Support the Nervous System”

Supporting the nervous system is at the core of healing and well-being. Our nervous system is the foundation of how we process and respond to stress, trauma, and life itself. When it’s dysregulated, as it often is in the face … Continue reading

Posted in Well-being | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Real Care is a Relationship: The Power of One Patient to Change the System

I’ve had to fight harder than most people can imagine just to be treated with dignity in medical spaces. I’ve been harmed, dismissed, ignored, and treated like a problem to manage instead of a human being to care for. But … Continue reading

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Dick Move Dressed As Generosity 

I recently realized something important about my multi-millionaire brother, the one who stepped into the role of replacement patriarch after our father died. At first, he showed some empathy. He said he understood that women and girls are disadvantaged in … Continue reading

Posted in Family | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Trigger to Transformation: How Creative Acts Can Shift the Nervous System’s Response

This spring, a patch of red sprouts emerged in my garden. To someone else, they might have looked intriguing or even beautiful. But for me, their appearance instantly triggered an unwanted body memory from childhood trauma. At that moment, my … Continue reading

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Things Fall Apart, Recommit

Recently, I drove 90 minutes round-trip to see a specialist at the University of Pennsylvania Neuroscience Center at Radnor. That was a lot for me. My arms aren’t used to driving that long. It caused burning and muscle pain. The … Continue reading

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment