What happens when breast cancer leaves behind more than physical scars?

In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura sits down with Dr. Jim Jackson to explore the hidden emotional impact of cancer, including medical trauma, PTSD, fear, triggers, and healing. Dr. Jackson is a licensed psychologist, neuropsychologist, and Director of Rehabilitation and Recovery at Vanderbilt’s Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, where he works with people facing life-threatening and chronic medical conditions.

Together, Laura and Dr. Jackson unpack why the experience of breast cancer can feel traumatic long after diagnosis or treatment begins. They discuss how medical trauma can develop not only from cancer itself, but also from the difficult encounters, procedures, scans, uncertainty, and dismissive moments that can leave a lasting emotional mark. Dr. Jackson explains why he prefers the term medical trauma over medical PTSD, noting that people may experience PTSD, but also anxiety, depression, OCD, and a wide range of other emotional effects.

In this episode, we discuss:

What medical trauma is and why the term matters
The difference between medical trauma and medical PTSD
How breast cancer can trigger fear, anxiety, and emotional distress long after diagnosis
Why caregivers and loved ones can experience trauma too
The importance of dignity, humanity, and being truly heard in healthcare
Dr. Jackson’s upcoming book, Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma

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