Episode Title: When Something Still Feels Missing: A Continuation, Not a Comeback

After several months away, Paula returns to The Courageous Survivor—not for a comeback, but for a continuation.

In this deeply personal episode, Paula shares why she stepped back from the podcast, what the past year of reflection and healing revealed, and why something still felt unfinished in her body and brain despite “doing everything right.” She opens up about living with the long-term effects of prolonged trauma and a near-fatal strangulation, navigating life with a brain injury, and the reality of managing chronic inflammation, vascular stress, and survival-mode physiology.

Paula discusses recent specialty lab findings that helped explain a recurring pattern she’s experienced since 2019—periods of feeling well followed by neurological decline—and how a recent viral illness temporarily worsened already fragile systems. She speaks candidly about the emotional and financial weight of functional and holistic care, the impossible choices survivors often face, and the long-term cost of not addressing root causes.

This episode sets the foundation for what’s ahead in 2026: a transparent, real-time documentation of healing within real-world limits. Paula explains her decision to take a “middle ground” approach—combining education, functional neurology, at-home rehab, and pacing—while sharing the trade-offs, costs, and realities many survivors quietly carry.

Most importantly, this episode is about honesty. About naming how years of living in fight-or-flight change the brain and body. About why resilience isn’t infinite. And about why survivors deserve informed, compassionate care—not dismissal or gaslighting.

This isn’t a promise of answers.
It’s a commitment to truth, transparency, and prevention—so future versions of ourselves don’t have to pay an even higher price.

Coming next:
Episode 2 will dive into the education behind these lab findings—what chronic stress, inflammation, and survival-mode physiology actually do to the brain and body, and why they matter.

https://thecourageoussurvivor.com/


Disclaimer:

The content shared on this podcast and YouTube channel is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I, Paula Walters, am not a licensed medical professional, and the information provided should not be construed as medical advice. I am sharing my personal journey of healing—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—based on my own experiences and the research I have found to be beneficial for me.

Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions regarding your health or treatment options. What works for me may not work for you, and it is important to find a path that is right for your unique needs and circumstances.

In this raw and powerful episode, Paula Walters returns with fresh insight and deep personal reflection on one of the most uncomfortable—but essential—truths about the healing journey: the choice between excuses and accountability.

Drawing from her own experiences with trauma, emotional overwhelm, and hard-hitting feedback, Paula unpacks the difference between living from the emotional brain and stepping into the rational brain. She shares how being stuck in survival mode, constantly reacting from pain, and avoiding change can derail healing—and how choosing accountability, one small action at a time, can radically transform your life.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by your own patterns, struggled to break free from victimhood, or wondered why healing sometimes feels so lonely, this episode is for you. Paula gets honest about her own setbacks, how she’s rewiring her brain, and why real healing begins in the mirror—with brutal honesty and radical ownership.

What you’ll walk away with:

• The emotional vs. rational brain: why it matters
• How trauma wires us for protection instead of connection
• Why hurt people hurt people—and how not to stay there
• The power of one small daily choice toward healing
• A new framework for seeing discipline and accountability as self-love
• And a reflective question that just might change everything

Ready to drop the excuses and choose the harder, more rewarding path forward? This is your invitation to start.

Next Episode Sneak Peek: Learn how to practically and powerfully rewire your brain, regulate your nervous system, and shift from emotional chaos to grounded peace.

https://thecourageoussurvivor.com/


Disclaimer:

The content shared on this podcast and YouTube channel is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I, Paula Walters, am not a licensed medical professional, and the information provided should not be construed as medical advice. I am sharing my personal journey of healing—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—based on my own experiences and the research I have found to be beneficial for me.

Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions regarding your health or treatment options. What works for me may not work for you, and it is important to find a path that is right for your unique needs and circumstances.

Episode Summary:
In this powerful first episode of a two-part series, Paula Walters shares her deeply personal story to close out Brain Injury Awareness Month. She sheds light on “the silent injury”—the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that often go unseen and undiagnosed in survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, strangulation, and human trafficking.

Drawing from her own experience as a paramedic, survivor, and advocate, Paula walks listeners through the years of unexplained symptoms, misdiagnoses, and frustration within a medical system that treated her like a mystery patient—while missing the root cause of her suffering: an invisible brain injury caused by a near-fatal strangulation.

Paula discusses:

• Why so many survivors are misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or autoimmune conditions
• How the medical system often fails to connect trauma history to physical symptoms
• The life-changing moment she felt seen and heard by Dr. Bill Smock in 2017
• Her path to healing through functional neurology
• The emotional toll of being dismissed and mislabeled for years
• Why we must ask deeper questions and break down the silos in healthcare

This episode is not just for survivors—it’s a call to action for healthcare professionals, therapists, and advocates to recognize the real and lasting impacts of brain trauma caused by abuse. Paula’s story is a reminder that many people aren’t “crazy” or “broken”—they’re injured and need the right kind of help.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or stuck in the medical system, this episode is for you.
And if you work in healthcare or mental health, please listen with an open heart and share this message.

👉 Stay tuned for Part 2, where Paula will share what functional medicine and brain injury rehabilitation actually looked like—and how it gave her hope, purpose, and a second chance at life.

Connect with Paula:
🔹 Social Media: @PaulaDWalters | @TheCourageousSurvivor
🔹 Website: www.thecourageoussurvivor.com

https://thecourageoussurvivor.com/


Disclaimer:

The content shared on this podcast and YouTube channel is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I, Paula Walters, am not a licensed medical professional, and the information provided should not be construed as medical advice. I am sharing my personal journey of healing—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—based on my own experiences and the research I have found to be beneficial for me.

Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions regarding your health or treatment options. What works for me may not work for you, and it is important to find a path that is right for your unique needs and circumstances.