Have you ever looked back at a version of yourself and barely recognized the person staring back at you? A few weeks ago, I found a stack of old journals. Dusty notebooks I’d forgotten existed. I opened them expecting memories. What I found instead was a map. Page by page, entry by entry, I watched myself disappear. I watched a woman who was exhausted, overwhelmed, confused, and desperately trying to make sense of what was happening inside her own mind. I watched someone crying for help without even knowing how to ask for it. What shocked me most wasn’t how bad things got. It was how obvious it seems now. The pain was right there in black and white. The fear was there. The hopelessness was there. The loneliness was there. Yet at the time, people told me I was attention-seeking. They told me to snap out of it. They told me to think positive. What they didn’t see was that I was fighting battles I couldn’t even explain. And if I’m being honest, there were moments when I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep going. Today, I’m going to share parts of that journey. Not because I want sympathy. Not because I want to relive the pain. But because someone listening right now may be where I was. Someone may be feeling broken, misunderstood, exhausted, misdiagnosed, overmedicated, or completely alone. And I want you to know something: You are not alone. I know because I’ve been there. These journals tell the story of my fall, the wrong turns, the labels that never fit, the medications that made things worse, the moments I thought I’d never find my way back, and ultimately, how I rebuilt my life piece by piece. This is the story of losing sight of the sun. And how, eventually, I found it again.

Expectations can quietly destroy us. They can ruin relationships, fuel resentment, trigger childhood wounds, and keep us trapped in cycles of abandonment, trauma, and emotional pain.

This episode of Digging Through Dominoes tells a deeply emotional, hidden truth, about her personal story of betrayal, trauma, survival, and healing.

Teri Anderson shares her profound journey through childhood trauma, family dynamics, and healing. Reflecting on her experiences, she explores how childhood events shape our adult lives and the importance of reparenting ourselves for emotional well-being.

Joshua’s journey was marked by a constellation of challenges, making a singular diagnosis difficult and showing how his conditions interacted with each other and his environment. While I questioned his autism diagnosis after watching the documentary because he met all his physical milestones and wasn’t delayed in speech, many of his other behaviors are classic features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which presents a wide range of symptoms.

In this conversation, Teri Anderson shares her personal journey with tattoos, detailing the stories behind each piece, the significance of cover-ups, and how tattoos have served as a form of therapy and self-expression throughout her life. She discusses her experiences with trauma and healing, emphasizing the role of art in her recovery and identity. In this conversation, Teri Anderson shares her personal journey through tattoos, exploring how they serve as a form of self-expression and connection to her family. She discusses the significance of each tattoo, particularly those that commemorate her grandchildren and her late son, Joshua. Teri reflects on the healing power of art and the emotional stories behind her tattoos, emphasizing the love and memories they represent. As she prepares for a birthday celebration in Europe, she expresses gratitude for her supportive community and looks forward to future adventures.

In this conversation, Teri Anderson explores the profound connection between trauma and tattoos, discussing how individuals use body art as a means of self-expression and healing. She highlights the common experiences of trauma survivors and the various ways they cope, including the use of tattoos to tell their stories. The discussion delves into the symbolism behind popular tattoo designs, the significance of memorial tattoos, and the transformative power of art in the healing process. Teri emphasizes the importance of understanding the narratives behind tattoos, encouraging listeners to see them as expressions of resilience and recovery. In this conversation, Teri Anderson explores the profound connection between tattoos and personal healing. She shares various stories behind tattoos that symbolize resilience, trauma, and recovery. The discussion emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, community, and self-expression in the healing journey. Teri highlights how tattoos serve as reminders of strength and transformation, while also addressing the emotional weight of personal experiences and the significance of shared narratives among trauma survivors. Takeaways Tattoos can represent deep, unspoken trauma. Not all tattoos are linked to pain; some celebrate joy. Art on the body can be a powerful storytelling tool. Coping mechanisms for trauma have evolved over time. There is one thing that the tattoos of trauma survivors have in common. And that is a deep.That is a deep, soul crushing pain that's either known or unknown, spoken or unspoken. Maya Angelou said, up from a past that's rooted in pain, I rise. And I think that's very true with what we see in today's culture of trauma survivors telling their stories and letting others see exactly. how they're feeling. We're reclaiming our bodies. We're reclaiming our thoughts. We are reclaiming our identities. Before I go any further, I want to say that not all tattoos are rooted in pain. Not all tattoos are rooted in trauma. but for those of us that have chosen to wear our stories. That's the case. In past decades, the survivors of trauma dealt with their trauma. through a lot of different coping mechanisms, including avoidance, substance abuse, seeking social support, religious practices, rituals, creative outlets, sometimes therapy, but therapy wasn't always. Therapy was pretty much a stigma in past decades. In today's culture, with tattoos being more prevalent, and the stigma of self-harm. being so heavy. Many of us have chosen to tell our stories. through the art on our bodies.   Teri Anderson (05:10.688)And I wanted in the past, the past episode, we talked a lot about the correlation between trauma. We spoke a lot about the core. I spoke a lot. I spoke a lot about the correlations there are between trauma and tattoos. Here we are in 2025. My traumas started in 1962, the year I was born. A lot of them were seared into my soul and I didn't know what they were. I had no idea what they were. But I wanted to go through in this episode here and kind of show you some of these. So you'll be aware if you see someone with some of these tattoos, you're be able to put it together and you're gonna be able to say, oh my gosh, I know what that means instead of, oh my gosh, that's trash. That was totally stupid. It might give you a little better understanding at some of the pain and some of the situations that we've gone through that have really been bigger and heavier than we have been able to carry alone. I think in some instances we do tell our story. in some instances, in some instances, in some situations. We are using tattooing. so we don't harm. so we don't do anything that will harm our bodies and leave a scar filled with stigma. So I'm gonna go through several resources here. I've got some pages pulled up here on the web that I'm gonna try and screen share with you guys. Some of the stories that people have that have survived their traumas. how they chose to represent them

This conversation delves into the intricate relationship between tattoos and trauma, exploring how body art serves as a form of self-expression, coping mechanism, and cultural identity. Teri Anderson shares personal anecdotes and research findings that highlight the prevalence of tattoos among individuals with traumatic experiences, particularly childhood abuse. The discussion emphasizes the significance of tattoos in narrating personal stories and fostering connections within communities.

In this deeply personal podcast episode, Teri Anderson shares her journey of healing and self-discovery following a traumatic motorcycle accident. She reflects on the emotional and physical challenges she faced, the impact of her injuries on her identity, and the importance of family and writing in her recovery process. Teri’s candid exploration of her struggles with mental health, loss, and the search for self-love offers listeners a powerful message of resilience and hope.

In this conversation, Teri Anderson and Julie Ryan McGue discuss their experiences with adoption and the search for birth families. They explore topics such as gratitude and fear, the challenges of closed adoptions, the impact of adoption on family dynamics, the importance of access to medical history, and the need for understanding and support from society. They also touch on the role of social media and DNA testing in connecting adoptees with their birth families. Overall, the conversation highlights the complexity and individuality of the adoption experience. Teri Anderson and Julie Ryan McGue discuss their experiences with adoption and reunion. Teri shares her journey of reconnecting with her birth family and the challenges she faced along the way. She talks about her adoptive mother's initial resistance to her search and the pressure she felt to maintain their relationship. Julie discusses her own reunion with her birth family and the immediate connection they felt due to their shared connections. They also touch on the importance of knowing one's medical history and the need for adoptees to have access to their original birth records. Both Teri and Julie emphasize the importance of support and understanding within the adoption community. Find out more about Julie, or purchase her books, with this link:https://juliemcgueauthor.com/ Takeaways:Gratitude and fear cannot coexist in the brain.Closed adoptions can present challenges in accessing information and medical history.Adoption can have a significant impact on family dynamics.Access to medical history is important for adoptees and their children.Social media and DNA testing have facilitated connections between adoptees and their birth families.Society should strive to understand and support individuals involved in the adoption process. Reconnecting with birth family can be a challenging and emotional journey, but it can also bring healing and a sense of belonging.Adoptees have the right to know their medical history and have access to their original birth records.Support and understanding within the adoption community are crucial for adoptees and their families.Setting boundaries and prioritizing one's own well-being is important when navigating relationships with both birth and adoptive families.Sharing personal stories and experiences can provide comfort and validation to others in similar situations. adoption storyadoption search,adoption journey,finding birth parents stories,identical twinsdigging through dominoes,podcast,mothers day,transracial adoption,catholic adoption,internal family systems,foster care adoption,mental healthtattooed biker chick,inner child work,mental health awareness monthintergenerational trauma,abandonment issues,emotional abuse,reparenting,cancer scare,personal growth,anxiety,60 something #JulieRyanMcGue#adoptionsearch#joy #heartache #reunion #terianderson #DiggingThroughDominoes#mentalhealth #mothersday #reality