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Trauma doesn’t end just because we’ve learned how to function. Susan Snow knows that firsthand, and she shares the moment a “normal day” cracked open years of buried pain when live coverage of the Columbine shootings triggered flashbacks to the night her LAPD detective father was killed. What follows is an honest look at PTSD, suicidal ideation, and the exhausting cost of wearing a mask, especially for law enforcement families and anyone shaped by first responder culture.
We talk about the lie of the “geographical cure” and why relocating, staying busy, or forcing yourself to be tough can’t outpace a dysregulated nervous system. Susan walks us through what finally changed when she found trauma-informed therapy that felt safe. Hearing “you have PTSD” initially shocked her, but it also gave her hope because it reframed her symptoms as normal responses to abnormal events, not personal failure. We dig into why healing has no timeline, why vulnerability is non-negotiable, and how the goal shifts from surviving to actually living.
You’ll also hear practical, field-tested coping tools that helped Susan regain stability one step at a time: journaling to improve sleep, box breathing and breathwork for nervous system regulation, trying different modalities without quitting, and eventually being introduced to EMDR. Along the way, we challenge the checkbox approach to mental health support in departments and make space for real conversations that include spouses, kids, and the ripple effects of the job.
You can reach Susan via her website at https://www.traumatalksbysusansnow.com
or on Facebook at: facebook.com/traumatalksbysusansnow
She is also on Instagram at: susan_snow1
and Youtube at: Traumatalksbysusansnow
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