Academic Trauma Is Real: Here's How to Start Healing

Academic trauma. Eww… I know some of us just felt the pit in our stomachs.  Yeah, I said it. That pit in your stomach when you open your email. The way your shoulders tense up during department meetings. The endless nights questioning if you want to do this anymore.

Here's the truth: academia was designed with a certain type of person in mind and has morphed into a machine that can produce for pennies- pump out papers, teach endless classes, and smile through soul-crushing committee meetings. And guess what? You're not a machine.

many people think "but everyone else seems fine." Stop!  They're not fine. That colleague with the perfect CV? They cry in their office too. Your supervisor who seems to have it all together? They're probably staring at their wall right now, wondering if they should quit academia and open a coffee shop.

The system tells us that burning out is a badge of honor. That if you're not exhausted, you're not working hard enough. What absolute b.s.

Your academic trauma might look like:

• Apologizing for needing basic human things (like lunch breaks or weekends)
• Feeling guilty when you're not working
• That familiar panic when someone mentions "productivity metrics"
• Believing you'll never be good enough, no matter how many achievements you rack up

Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so.

Here's what no one tells you: healing from academic trauma isn't just possible – it's necessary. Your brain needs space to think. Your creativity needs room to breathe. Your best ideas won't come while you're having a panic attack over peer review comments or teaching evaluations.

Start small. Take a full lunch break tomorrow. Close your email after 6 PM. When someone asks how you are, resist the urge to say "busy" like it's a personality trait or something to be proud of.

The world needs your ideas, your perspective, your unique way of seeing things. But we need the real you – not the burnt-out shell of you that's running on coffee and anxiety.

Deep breath. Shoulders back. You've got this.

And remember: the next time someone suggests you should be "more productive," it's perfectly acceptable to mute your Zoom call and scream into a pillow. I won't tell anyone.

Looking for a community that gets it? Join our Endarkened Narratives, Embodied Tales Membership community – where we validate your academic trauma and help you find your way back to work that energizes instead of depletes. Because you deserve to do meaningful work without sacrificing your soul.