Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories | Psychotherapy, Trauma, and Psychedelics

This is the story of Milena, starting with her early years in a Bulgarian orphanage, then the hope and promise of being adopted by an American family, and finally the emerging and increasingly ominous consequences of early attachment trauma and institutionalization. Adoption is complicated and multi-layered….and the unforeseen consequences of adoption can play out over a lifetime.  Milena thought she had won the golden ticket out of the orphanage and into a new life in America, but after the initial honeymoon period, the deeper reality of what it means to spend the first 5 years of life in an institutional setting began to swallow her up and tear her apart. 

Support the show

Elemental Psychedelics
https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

Support the show

In this season 8 opener Rosy shares both her experience recovering from bipolar disorder and the heartbreak of watching her beloved son begin to show signs of an even more extreme form of bipolar disorder called schizoaffective disorder. This is a story in parallel, two lives deeply intertwined, yet also slowly tearing apart as her son’s illness became increasingly severe.
Support the show

Elemental Psychedelics
https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

Support the show

In this second of two parts, Laura Mae Northrup shares stories of how she found a healing path through connection, therapy, and psychedelics. 
Support the show
Laura Mae Northrup
https://www.lauramaenorthrup.com/
Elemental Psychedelics
https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

Support the show

This is the first of a two part summer special with Laura Mae Northrup, who was first featured in the original BFTA summer special back in 2022. In this first episode, in an excerpt from her wonderful podcast called Inside Eyes, we hear Laura describe her long and grueling battle with suicidality, which emerged as a result of childhood sexual abuse. In the second episode in two weeks, Laura and Dr. H dive deep into her personal healing journey— what worked, what didn’t, and how she was able to finally put her chronic suicidality to rest. 
Support the show
Laura Mae Northrup
https://www.lauramaenorthrup.com/
Elemental Psychedelics
https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

Support the show

After seven years and so many powerful stories, Craig announces a tectonic shift in the BFTA plates.
Support the show! 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support
Closing song-- "Come and go" by Timber Choir
Bringing Therapy into Med Management-- An intensive workshop for psych NPs and PAs, June 3-6 2026 in Ft Collins
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/bringing-therapy-into-med-management/
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?"  An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference and countertransference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, June 18-20 2026 in Vancouver/Chilliwack BC
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
Explore every episode through themes, domains, formats, and speakers.
The BFTA CODEX is a listener-built and curated field guide to the podcast.
https://bfta-codex.org
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
BFTA on IG @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

Support the show