Calling In Sick How Stress, Trauma, and the Lack of Safety Shape Chronic Illness (ft Dr. Sula Wingassen)
This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by Dr. Sula Windgassen, a health psychologist, researcher, author of It’s All in Your Body, and fellow chronic illness patient.
Dr. Windgassen brings a rare and deeply validating perspective to chronic illness care, one that explains why symptoms often worsen when we feel dismissed, blamed, or unsafe, and how psychology can biologically influence pain and illness without implying that it’s “all in your head.” Together, we explore:
- What actually happens in the body when you’re dismissed or not believed
- How external comments turn into self-gaslighting
- What actually helps restore a sense of safety
This is a grounding, science-backed, and deeply de-shaming conversation for anyone who’s been told, explicitly or subtly, that their illness is psychological, exaggerated, or something they should be able to “think their way out of.” You are not broken. Your symptoms make sense. And safety is not a reward… it’s a biological need.
xx, Alex
💬 Comment: What’s one thing you wish people understood about how words affect chronic illness?
✨ Substack EXCLUSIVES! ✨ This week, only our Substack subscribers will get exclusive access to this week’s Q&A. We give our two cents on:
- Ways to calm the mind/body down and use this connection for healing
- Is it possible to rule out if there is or is NOT mental components of chronic illness?
- In this framework... Is it my fault I'm sick?
- How do we know if mental health is the root cause of physical symptoms?
- How do you deal with medical PTSD?
✨Subscribe to our Substack for our answers! https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod ✨
TIMESTAMP:
Intro:
00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!
00:04:48 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Divi, Jupiter)
Mind-Body-Flare Up:
00:07:36 Intro to Dr. Sula Wingassen (how getting sick pushed her into studying and developing the psycho-biology framework)
00:21:55 The impact of hopelessness on chronic illness
00:28:20 Why the mind-body connection isn’t always effective (and how to effectively use it)
00:31:30 How internalized self-blame keeps the body stuck in threat-mode
00:37:12 Why searching for the silver bullet derails healing in the long-term
00:40:00 The 5 key measures of safety that prove how social experiences can put our bodies in survival response
00:48:00 It’s all in our body… how trauma and cortisol can be the last straw (little T and big T, trauma)
00:50:23 Why we hate to hear “have you tried…” and how to NOT let it activate the body’s stress response
01:03:15 How chronic illness changes how we view “a good day”
01:11:08 Dr. Sula’s top tips to find a sense of safety in the body
Conclusion:
01:26:32 One Brain Cell Show: Wednesday (Music: Bellemt; TV: The Office)
01:30:32 Thank you for listening!
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Connect with our Guest, Dr. Sula Wingassen:
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_health_psychologist_/?hl=en
• Her website - https://www.healthpsychologist.co.uk/
Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568
• Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod?
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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/
Alex’s Picks of the Week:
In honor of me getting ready to learn how to do all the girly things before (hopefully) becoming a girl mom… we’re talking hair health!!
✨DIVI (hair growth serum, dry shampoo, air dry cream) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38925489
ALEXANDRA15 for 15% off at checkout
✨Jupiter Detox Shampoo — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38925648
ALEXANDRA20 for 20% off at checkout
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