In a deeply personal and powerful episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, Kiley Como, Legal Nurse Consultant at Shane Smith Law, sat down with Paula Walters—a veteran paramedic, trauma survivor, and passionate advocate for change.
What followed was a raw, eye-opening conversation about the profound connection between unresolved trauma and long-term health crises in America.
A Silent Epidemic
Paula’s story is all too familiar for many survivors. For over a decade, she battled a myriad of chronic health issues—from autoimmune diseases and GI distress to heart palpitations and chronic fatigue. The diagnosis list grew longer, the prescriptions stacked higher, and yet, no one was asking the deeper question: what happened to you?
As Paula explained, trauma isn’t just “in your head.” It rewires your brain, dysregulates your nervous system, and sets off a physiological chain reaction that can slowly erode your health.
rauma suppresses the feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine while flooding the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this imbalance can wreak havoc on your immune system, gut health, and hormone regulation—leading to issues like fibromyalgia, IBS, POTS, chronic fatigue, and even heart disease.
The Cost of Misdiagnosis
Paula described spending over $500,000 on medical care, seeing more than 50 different providers, and collecting a dozen misdiagnoses before anyone suggested her symptoms could be rooted in a brain injury—and deeper still, in unresolved childhood trauma.
It wasn’t until she encountered trauma-informed, functional medicine providers like Dr. Eric Reis that the dots were finally connected. For the first time, Paula felt safe enough to unpack memories she didn’t even know were buried. That process, while painful, helped her understand that trauma doesn’t fade with time—it embeds itself, silently shaping both mental and physical health.
Trauma Isn’t a Choice—Addiction Isn’t Either
One of the most stirring parts of the conversation came when Paula shared her experience with addiction. She didn’t wake up one day and decide to become an addict. Like many survivors, she was simply trying to quiet an internal storm she couldn’t explain. Addiction, self-harm, and even suicide, she emphasized, are often desperate attempts to escape the unbearable emotional dysregulation caused by untreated trauma.
“When you feel like you’re living in a constant state of fight or flight—24/7—and no one can tell you why,” Paula said, “you just want it to stop. That’s what addiction was for me. A survival tactic.”
Reimagining Healthcare: From Judgment to Compassion
Paula called for sweeping changes in the way healthcare—and society—approaches trauma. Instead of labeling patients as “noncompliant” or “overly anxious,” providers should be trained to recognize signs of trauma and ask better questions. Intake forms should include ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) screenings and specific questions about head injuries, abuse, and emotional safety.
She stressed that true trauma-informed care requires more than checking a box. It demands that providers listen without judgment, ask with compassion, and create space for honesty—because healing starts with being heard.
Final Thoughts
This episode serves as a reminder: trauma is not just a mental health issue—it’s a full-body condition that, left untreated, will continue to manifest in our emergency rooms, clinics, and communities.
If you’re struggling with chronic symptoms and nothing seems to help, ask the deeper questions. If you’re a provider, start the harder conversations. And if you’re a survivor, know that you’re not alone—and healing is possible.
As always, if you or someone you love has suffered a head injury or traumatic event and needs legal help, in pain? Call Shane! 980-999-9999.
