Leigh, a loving wife and mother of four children, shares her triumphant story of healing from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism, an eating disorder, and insulin resistance.
Leigh began her journey to recovery a year ago. At 37 years old, Leigh discovered that many of her physical and emotional symptoms were a product of PTSD from childhood trauma. “My father didn’t survive his fight with mental health. He passed from arrhythmia when he was 34 years old. I was nine at the time, and my six-year-old sister found him deceased.”
Survivors of childhood trauma often take on different roles in their families. The sudden passing of her father led Leigh’s mother down the path of alcoholism as means of coping. “When a parent struggles this way, it causes an emotional disconnect. I became the caretaker. A silent war started in my body.”
At age 15, Leigh developed an eating disorder after quitting basketball. “In high school, I began exercising four hours a day and restricting meat. I lived in hypervigilance, and I would strive for complete perfectionism.” Her mental health began deteriorating, and she suffered from suicidal thoughts and dissociation.
By age 19, Leigh says she was fighting for her life. “I sought medical help continuously, and new medications were always prescribed. I felt defeated and thought I had exhausted all avenues.” She fell into alcoholism to “soothe the overwhelming sadness and negative racing thoughts.”
Leigh entered rehab in February 2022 and supported her sobriety with ketamine infusions. Her bloodwork had revealed several nutrient deficiencies and exposed an underlying metabolic resistance issue. “My whole metabolic health was either deficient or low.”
Leigh had been following a vegan diet to lose weight, but when she heard Mikhaila Peterson’s story about healing from PTSD on a carnivore diet, Leigh decided to try it for herself. She has eaten eggs, steak, grass-fed ground beef, salt, and water for the last two months.
“By day 22, living in my head was just so different! I am now able to clear my mind and go through my thoughts and not just react. It’s been remarkable!”
Since switching to an animal-based diet, Leigh has enjoyed more energy, no joint pain, and no restrictive thoughts regarding food. “The thoughts, memories, and overwhelming sadness finally subsided on the carnivore diet, even during my menstrual cycle. The restrictive eating thoughts are gone.”
Now sober for over a year, Leigh’s seen a considerable impact on her family’s health and well-being. “it was really hard for me to come to terms with the fact I had a problem with alcohol.” Even though she appeared “high-functioning,” she knew her kids “deserved better,” and so did she. As she continues to heal, Leigh has noticed that her teenage daughter is more social, and her son has less anxiety. “It’s a beautiful thing to see!”
Leigh credits ketamine treatment with putting her brain “back online” and believes that a carnivore diet has helped alleviate her fixations on negative memories and beliefs. “I feel so passionate about how much this diet has helped me. I wouldn’t have gone through the depths of hell to not share this remarkable information!”
