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.

Dear Doctor: I Have Lots of Therapists. Including You.

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

Your Presence Is the Treatment. Or the Harm. It is striking how many doctors, especially pain specialists, have doubly verified that I have a good therapist. Or a therapist. That I’m “in mental health care.” I understand why they ask. … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged Behavioral Health, doctors, IPNB, Medicine, Mental Health, neurobiology, pain specialists, Psychology, therapist, therapy | Leave a comment

The Neuroscience of Being Believed: A Biology Nerd’s Journey to Evidence-Based Self-Advocacy In Medicine

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

I’m such a biology nerd and consider my life one long experiment that I have done things like this. In the past 7 years, I have tracked large quantities of personal bio data. It quantifies my struggles and progress as … Continue reading →

Posted in Neurobiology | Tagged care, chronic disease, chronic illness, interpersonal neurobiology, Medicine, Nerve Block, neurobiology, pain, pain specialist, recurrent pain, treatment | Leave a comment

They Hurt Us to Feel Powerful: What a Predator Is About

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

People often ask why someone would do something so devastating as what I’ve experienced. Why would a parent create a coercive, dangerous environment for their child? Why would someone keep a young person trapped and isolated, controlling every part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Predators | Tagged abuse, abusers, harm, institutional betrayal, IPNB, Medicine, predators, victim | Leave a comment

The Neurobiology of Resistance: Standing Against Abusive Power

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

I didn’t become a fighter by choice. My environment demanded it. There was no room to ally with my abusive father. He didn’t allow it. I couldn’t stop him from hurting me for being a girl, for not being the … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism | Tagged abuse, authoritarinanism, compliance, connection, danger, fight, resistance, safety | Leave a comment

F’ing Insane: Maltreatment by Health Data

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

I had my annual checkup with my primary care provider. She said all my numbers are good, because they collected the wrong numbers. No sleep data. No tracking my pain over time. No questions about PTSD or Complex Regional Pain … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged charts, data, Doctor, health, healthcare, lab results, Medicine, primary care | Leave a comment

Stop Skipping the Most Important Part: Being With Me In My Struggle Is Medicine for Us Both

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

Doctors often want to look at the bright side. They point to progress, milestones, changes in tone or function. They want to give hope. But in doing so, they often skip past the truth that I’m still struggling every day. … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged attunement, healing, health, holding space, interpersonal neurobiology, IPNB, presence | Leave a comment

Reputation Over People: Institutions Protect Predators

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

Institutions that protect predators prioritize reputation over people. When faced with credible reports of abuse, many institutions first seek to contain the damage, not investigate or stop the harm. This includes pressuring victims to stay silent, covering up records, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Predators | Tagged accountability, Community, gaslighting, healing, institutions, predators, public pressure, support | Leave a comment

The “Mental Illness” Frame Is the Problem. Interpersonal Neurobiology Changes Everything

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

The mental illness industry frames mental health in terms of individual pathology, diagnosis, and personal responsibility. It focuses on what’s wrong with a person: what disorder they might have, what cognitive distortions they carry, what behaviors need changing. It tends … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged Behavioral Health, connection, Interpersonal Neurobilology, IPNB, Mental Health, mental illness industry, pathologizing, Psychology, Regulation, Shaming | Leave a comment

Protect the Predator, Protect the Brand: How Hospitals Foster Criminal Behavior

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

Like pediatrics, family medicine, and mental health, gynecology is a medical specialty to which predators are attracted. Each specialty gives abusers access to numerous potential victims. An investigative report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified over 3,100 individual physicians named in … Continue reading →

Posted in Abuse, Healthcare | Tagged abuse, Abuser, hospital, institutions, predator, safety | Leave a comment

Lessons from Iceland’s Four-Day Week: Work Less, Connect More

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

An article about Iceland’s nationwide shift to a four-day workweek paints a compelling picture of how systemic change can influence not just productivity and job satisfaction, but overall health, social connection, and collective well-being. From an interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, … Continue reading →

Posted in Well-being | Tagged 4-day work week, biological needs, employment, Iceland, IPNB, money, productivity, work, working conditions, workplace | Leave a comment