Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories | Psychotherapy, Trauma, and Psychedelics

This is the first of a two part summer special with Laura Mae Northrup, who was first featured in the original BFTA summer special back in 2022. In this first episode, in an excerpt from her wonderful podcast called Inside Eyes, we hear Laura describe her long and grueling battle with suicidality, which emerged as a result of childhood sexual abuse. In the second episode in two weeks, Laura and Dr. H dive deep into her personal healing journey— what worked, what didn’t, and how she was able to finally put her chronic suicidality to rest. 
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Laura Mae Northrup
https://www.lauramaenorthrup.com/
Elemental Psychedelics
https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
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https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

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After seven years and so many powerful stories, Craig announces a tectonic shift in the BFTA plates.
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https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support
Closing song-- "Come and go" by Timber Choir
Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

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Amidst a long catalog of previous BFTA stories featuring complex or developmental PTSD, today’s story is one of classic DSM-style PTSD, it’s a story of both medical and parenting trauma, of facing the fear of annihilation and death. 
In this three part story,  first we hear Tracy tell of the increasingly severe medical challenges of her children, then Tracy flashes back to describe her own terrifying emergency hospitalization as a 5 year old, then finally we trace Tracy’s treatment journey through traditional psychotherapy and eventual MDMA-assisted therapy as she tries to find a way to calm her nervous system and find peace.
Support the show! 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support
Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

Support the show

In this solo episode Dr. H shares his thoughts on the unexpected risks of feeling too much positive energy and/or identification with a patient.  This talk is also a sneak preview into the workshop that Dr. H teaches with Dr. Hillary McBride called "I Love You I Hate You...Are You My Mom?'
Support the show! 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support
Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Support the show

Today’s story is one of genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, and finally a psychiatric flame thrower.  Whitney’s uncle had a particularly severe form of bipolar disorder and she too began to develop mood instability and depression as an adolescent. When we think of environmental triggers for mania, we tend to think of sleep deprivation, substances, and the postpartum period. And through her 20s and 30s, Whitney began to have more serious bouts of hypomania during times of sleep deprivation or in her postpartum periods. But it took an increasingly severe weed habit to bring her to the horrors of mania with psychosis. 
Support the show! 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support
Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Support the show