From Trauma to Triumph: Nicholas P. Ruchlewicz on Recovery, Music, and the Power of Community
Welcome to another powerful episode of "When Not Yet Becomes Right Now," the podcast dedicated to diving deep into those pivotal moments of transformation when hesitation fades and healing begins. Your host, Jen Ginty, created this space because she realized that her own journey of pushing off healing from childhood trauma was just one path among countless others, and she wants to share diverse stories of resilience, growth, and transformation. This episode is a perfect embodiment of that mission.
In this inspiring new episode, Jen speaks with Nicholas P. Ruchlewicz, a trauma and brain injury survivor, about his incredible journey of recovery and advocacy. Nicholas shares his profound origin story, detailing the life-changing motorcycle accident that led to his injuries and the extensive road to recovery. His story is a testament to how transformation moments can indeed lead to profound growth, even in the face of immense challenge.
Nicholas emphasizes several crucial elements that aided him in his healing journey:
• The Importance of Community in Recovery: Just as Jen Ginty believes in the power of community to make people feel less alone in their struggles, Nicholas highlights how crucial community has been for his own healing.
• Vulnerability Fosters Connection: Nicholas discusses how embracing vulnerability can lead to deeper connection and understanding, a theme that resonates with the podcast's goal of fostering shared experiences.
• Humor as a Powerful Coping Tool: Discover how humor can serve as an effective mechanism for coping with trauma, providing a unique perspective on navigating difficult experiences.
• The Profound Impact of Music on Mental Health: Nicholas delves into how music has therapeutic effects on mental health, acting as a healing tool in his recovery. This concept aligns with the podcast's exploration of various coping skills and pathways to healing.
The episode delves into significant moments from Nicholas's journey, including discussions around:
• His life-changing motorcycle accident (starting at [01:53]).
• The critical role of community in his recovery (at [08:47]).
• Utilizing music as a healing tool (at [13:10] and revisited at [28:31]).
• The role of humor when discussing trauma (at [15:42]).
• Understanding different types of trauma and the subjectivity of pain and healing (at [18:17] and [22:31]).
• Finding connection through shared experiences (at [40:28]).
Through his advocacy work, Nicholas aims to empower others and break the stigma surrounding trauma and mental health issues. This resonates deeply with Jen's own advocacy, as a childhood abuse survivor living with Complex PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, who created her therapeutic doll, My Moody Monster®, to help children cope with big emotions and frustrations. Jen, through her "Moody Talks" on YouTube, also discusses emotions and coping skills using DBT. Both Jen and Nicholas exemplify how personal journeys can lead to helping others.
A key message from Nicholas is that each person's pain is valid and unique, and hope can be a guiding light in dark times. This message echoes the podcast's commitment to helping people feel seen and understood in their mental health conditions and encouraging them to reach out for help and face tough things they may have been putting off
You can connect with Nicholas P. Ruchlewicz through his linktree: https://linktr.ee/giftofperspective and find him on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@npr_nerd
Jen created "When Not Yet Becomes Right Now" to be a safe space where stories like Nicholas's can be shared, helping others feel less alone in their struggles. Whether you're searching for that spark in your own life or simply curious about how change unfolds for others, you're in the right place.
Don't miss this powerful conversation. Tune in to the latest episode of "When Not Yet Becomes Right Now" and let's turn those "Not Yet" moments into "Right Now"!
Jennifer is a single mom and entrepreneur who lives with Complex PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder from childhood trauma. Throughout her life, Jen has learned valuable coping skills and has made it her mission to help others to better understand their own emotions.
Jen has faced obstacles in her healing journey - from becoming a mother without a healthy parental model of her own to overcoming her inner saboteur while coping with the symptoms of CPTSD and Depression. She has spent the last 4 years developing My Moody Monster - a pull apart plush toy that has helped children to get out their frustrations in a safe way and giving families a tool to talk about emotions and communication.
Jen believes by sharing her own story she can help others to know they are not alone. Her YouTube channel features her Moody Talks focusing on an emotion each month and teaching coping skills that have helped her with her own mental health.
After being featured on multiple mental health and parenting podcasts, Jen had a powerful realization: her story of pushing away the hard work of facing her trauma was just one journey, and there are countless other journeys out there—each just as important and impactful. This is what inspired her to create "When Not Yet Becomes Right Now", a space for exploring the many different paths we take in life.
Welcome back to "When Not Yet Becomes Right Now," the podcast dedicated to exploring those pivotal moments where hesitation fades and transformation begins. In a recent inspiring episode, our host Jen Ginty sat down with Lisa Sugarman, a pas…
Welcome to When Not Yet Becomes Right Now, the podcast where we dive deep into those pivotal moments of transformation in our life journeys – the times when hesitation fades, and we take that crucial first step, even if it feels like a leap.…
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Send us a text Jen speaks with Nicholas P. Ruchlewicz, a trauma and brain injury survivor, about his journey of recovery and advocacy. Nicholas shares his powerful origin story, detailing the life-changing motorcycle accident that led to his injuries and the long road to recovery. He emphasizes the…
