Survivor Stories – Episode 5: Breaking Generational Cycles: Brittany’s Journey Through Trauma and Healing

Podcast: Survivor Stories: Breaking Silence, Changing Stigma
Guest: Brittney Hawks
Hosts: Jarod, Mike, and Lindsey

Episode Description

What happens when the experiences that shape us as children continue to affect our relationships, our self-worth, and the way we navigate adulthood?

In this episode of Survivor Stories, Brittney Hawks shares her deeply personal journey of childhood trauma, unhealthy family dynamics, addiction within her family, difficult relationships, military service, motherhood, and a life-changing battle with cancer.

Brittney opens up about growing up feeling responsible for managing other people’s emotions, learning to put everyone else’s needs before her own, and carrying anger and pain she didn’t fully understand until adulthood. Through therapy, self-reflection, faith, and the support of her husband and family, she began connecting the dots between her childhood experiences and the patterns that followed her into adult relationships.

She also shares her experience with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), setting boundaries with family, and recognizing the importance of accountability in healing. One of the most powerful themes of this conversation is her commitment to breaking generational cycles and giving her daughters the stability, emotional safety, and space to express their feelings that she needed growing up.

This conversation also explores finding the right therapist, different approaches to trauma treatment, and why healing doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.

Brittney’s story is a reminder that understanding where our patterns come from can help us choose a different path forward. We cannot change what happened to us, but we can work toward changing what gets passed on.

You are not alone. Your experiences do not define your worth, and it is never too late to begin healing.

In This Episode

• Growing up in an unstable home and taking on adult responsibilities at a young age.
• How childhood experiences shaped Brittney’s self-worth, independence, and relationships.
• Recognizing unhealthy relationship patterns and finding the courage to leave.
• Navigating motherhood, military service, deployment, and serious illness.
• Receiving a C-PTSD diagnosis and beginning to understand the impact of childhood trauma.
• Exploring therapy, EMDR, and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
• Learning to set boundaries, including when family relationships become unhealthy.
• Understanding accountability and the importance of breaking generational cycles.
• Finding support, rebuilding trust, and learning to feel safe.
• Creating a healthier environment for the next generation.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Finding a Therapist – Psychology Today

Looking for a therapist can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure where to begin. Psychology Today’s therapist directory allows you to search for mental health professionals by location, specialty, insurance, and other preferences.

Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

Military OneSource – Confidential Counseling and Support

Military OneSource provides eligible service members and military families with resources and confidential, short-term counseling for challenges such as stress, relationship difficulties, parenting, and grief. Visit the website to learn more about available services and eligibility.

Website: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-counseling/

A Note About Therapy and Healing

As discussed in this episode, finding a qualified mental health professional who understands your experiences and with whom you feel comfortable can make a meaningful difference.

Different therapeutic approaches work differently for different people. Trauma-focused work can bring up difficult emotions, so consider working with a qualified professional before attempting intensive trauma-processing exercises on your own.

This podcast shares personal experiences and is intended for conversation, education, and encouragement. It is not a substitute for professional mental health care or medical advice.

Trigger Warning

This episode includes discussions of childhood emotional and physical abuse, family addiction and substance use, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault within marriage, emotional manipulation, cancer and medical trauma, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).

Please listen in whatever way feels safest for you. You can pause, skip sections, or step away whenever you need to. Your well-being comes first.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

Join the Conversation

Have you ever recognized a pattern in your life that you wanted to change? What has helped you take steps toward healing?

We invite you to reflect, share your experiences when you’re comfortable, and help us continue creating space for honest conversations about trauma and mental health.

If Brittney’s story resonated with you, consider sharing this episode with someone who might need the reminder that they are not alone.

Survivor Stories: Breaking Silence, Changing Stigma.

Because we are more than what happened to us.