Years ago, we first considered writing an article on trauma. Over and over, we saw clients who seemed disengaged when eating or during workouts.

Or were angry when we made an innocuous nutritional suggestion (e.g. “Consider eating slowly today.”)

Or who panicked, dispersed, became distressed, or became paralyzed in response to something they saw?

Or did not have enough resources to manage overwhelming urges to overeat, restrict, purge, binge drink or engage in other forms of self-harming behaviors.

As coaches of their players, we aimed to find individual explanations.

And we found them.
Grievous childhoods filled with abusive and absent adults; sexual assault; emotional neglect and substance abuse; military service, dislocation, miscarriages and natural disasters as well as grief and loss were some of the realities we encountered.

(If you would like to watch the authors discuss this article further, check out the video below; otherwise simply scroll over or click here to skip ahead).)