Health Care for Survivors

In this week’s Testimony Mountain, Nikki Lyn Pugh shares some of her testimony and the challenges and opportunities available for survivors.  We are learning how closely our body is connected to the trauma we experienced as well as our soul and spirit.  For full healing, we need to address all three, not just our soul and parts. 

There are obstacles for survivors to get health care for a variety of reasons.  Financial challenges are often an issue, but more profoundly are the fears and unique challenges that survivors face.  Most physicians are not trauma informed, and especially not survivor informed.  On a recent visit to the doctor, it was the first time that I could truly say I felt safe at home.  In the past, I knew I couldn’t bring up the fears I had as they would not be understood by the practitioner and I did not want to end up being committed to a psych ward. 

Auto-immune diseases are common for survivors as the internal conflict is reflected in the body attacking itself.  This is little understood by the medical community.  They can recommend all kinds of medications but miss pursuing the root cause which will ultimately bring healing.  I was bedridden for a number of years, diagnosed eventually as having fibromyalgia, a multi-symptom classification doctors use when they don’t know what else to do.  I wondered why God didn’t heal me back then, but I didn’t understand it was the stuffing of trauma that manifested in my body. 

In addition, when I work with clients, I often find that soul parts can cause physical symptoms.  This can be for a variety of reasons from wanting to avoid a session, to fears around relational connection, encounter time with God or in trying to “protect” the person.  Parts are usually formed in childhood due to trauma and do not operate from conventional logic.  It takes patience, love and time to help them understand they don’t need to produce physical symptoms anymore to get attention or protect.   

We are in an exciting season of exploring how the body, soul and spirit work and how to partner with True FAMILY in healing and coming into wholeness.  Nikki is currently working as a health coach especially for survivors and believes God is calling her to complete her ND degree (Doctor of Naturopathy).  She has a passion to see survivors get the health care they need that address body, soul and spirit.  If you’d like to help her work towards her degree, it is much appreciated!  You can donate by clicking here and 2% of the proceeds will go to Transformations Community.  Let’s support Nikki in this endeavor!