I Turned My Trauma Into Manipulation with Chana Studley, Dr Teralyn Sell, Therapist Jenn Schmitz

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The Gaslit Truth Podcast is hosted by Dr. Teralyn Sell and Therapist Jenn Schmitz, exploring mental health, psychiatric medication withdrawal, therapy culture, and informed consent.

In this episode, Dr. Teralyn Sell and Therapist Jenn Schmitz talk with Chana Studley, trauma survivor to hollywood award winner. 

 You’ve been told you’re broken. Chana Studley arrived with police reports, X-rays, and years of panic to prove it. Three assaults in her twenties spiraled into PTSD and decades of chronic pain, yet the most life-changing shift didn’t come from retelling the worst moments. It came from recognizing how the mind’s “special effects” turn memory and prediction into present-tense fear—and how noticing safety lets the body unclench.

We sit down with Hannah to map the journey from being defined by trauma to reclaiming identity and health. She shares the pivotal moment a mentor asked if she was ready to let go of her story, why that felt like betrayal at first, and how it opened a door to resilience. We follow her into Hollywood creature shops, where patching a T‑Rex before dawn mirrored the improvisation of rebuilding a life. Imposter syndrome, yes—but also the dawning insight that thought colors experience, and that two people can live the same event and carry wildly different weight.

From there, we dive into the mind-body connection and the Three Principles. Hannah explains how chronic pain reduced when her nervous system stopped bracing for danger 24/7, and how listening to whispers—irritability, lost humor, urgency—prevented the screams of flare-ups, shutdowns, and risky coping. We unpack why “rehashing to heal” can keep people stuck, how to catch early warning signs before the slide, and what it means to build a resilient identity that isn’t fused to a diagnosis. We also take a hard look at Freud’s outsized shadow and offer a more useful frame: you have innate well-being, and it’s closer than you think.

If you’re ready to rethink labels, explore the roots of pain, and find solid ground in your own system’s design, this conversation offers both courage and tools. Subscribe, share with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help more listeners find their way back to resilience.

We're recruiting for a first-of-its-kind psychiatric medication withdrawal research study. If you've experienced psychiatric medication withdrawal, you may be eligible to participate.  Email [email protected] to learn more. 

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💊 Ready to Deprescribe Your Psych Meds?

Psych meds have harmed us—and we’re not just survivors, we’re deeply educated in psychopharmacology, psychology, and nutrition. As hosts of The Gaslit Truth Podcast, we guide people safely off psychiatric medications with strategies grounded in science and brain health

🔥 You’ve been harmed. You’ve been dismissed. It’s time to take your brain back—with guidance from people who’ve been there and know their stuff.

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Dr. Teralyn:

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Therapist Jenn: 

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