Jan 15, 2026
Imagine sitting on your front porch, enjoying a quiet moment after school drop-off, only to suddenly find yourself in the grip of a panic attack—not because something went wrong, but because nothing went wrong. For Lara, this was the reality of parental PTSD. After years of daily phone calls, school expulsions, and crisis management, her nervous system had forgotten how to feel safe in the calm.
In this emotional episode, Lara shares her family’s incredible journey from “survival mode” to thriving. She opens up about her son Oliver, who was once on three different medications and struggling with severe meltdowns and aggression. Lara candidly discusses the turning point that occurred during a family vacation, the step-by-step nutritional changes that transformed their lives, and the joy of finally taking a family trip to a museum without fear of a public incident.
Listen in to learn how Lara weaned her son off medication with doctor support, how she and her husband navigated their own healing, and why the silence after the storm can sometimes be the hardest adjustment of all.
Key
Takeaways
[04:45] Early Signs of
Dysregulation - Lara describes the extreme rage cycles and
daily meltdowns that began when Oliver was just two years
old.
[06:12] School Struggles
- The heartbreaking reality of being dismissed from
multiple preschools and eventually a public school due to severe
behavioral challenges.
[12:14] The Medication
Load - Oliver was on three medications—Abilify, Celexa,
and various stimulants—yet the family was still “drowning in
emotional roller coasters.”
[13:57] The Turning
Point - How a YouTube video discovered during a desperate
family vacation in Florida shifted everything for Lara and her
husband.
[18:27] Tackling Overwhelm
with Baby Steps - Why eliminating one food group at a
time—and not striving for perfection—was the key to making dietary
changes sustainable.
[28:57] Feeling
Again - The powerful moment when Oliver verbally expressed
anger for the first time after coming off numbing mood
stabilizers.
[31:03] New Freedom as a
Family - The family’s ability to travel to Washington D.C.
and visit museums without fear of elopement, aggression, or major
dysregulation.
[33:33] Parental PTSD
- Lara shares her “porch story,” describing a panic attack
triggered simply because the school didn’t call with an
emergency.
[39:01] A Mindset Shift That
Helps - Lara reminds parents that children are born with
all the emotions—but not yet the skills to manage them.
Memorable
Moments
"We ran into several mothers
along our path and that was the best support for me because I could
talk to them about what was going on and they didn’t look at me
like, what are you doing wrong?”
“We tried everything else. This
makes sense to me… This is our chance.”
“I remember the first time he
said, ‘I feel so mad’… This poor kid was so numbed and dulled that
he had all these things going on, but he wasn’t able to say how he
felt.”
“I was just there and I felt a
panic… I really thought I was gonna die… I experienced a panic
attack, and I don’t know why. There’s nothing to worry about. My
son is doing great.”
“Lara, your nervous system is in
fight or flight, and your brain still thinks you need to fight or
flight.”
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