Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Adriana Bucci, a narcissistic abuse recovery coach based in Toronto, Canada. She empowers survivors of narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, and toxic family dynamics to heal from emotional and physical pain that comes with it, so they can live life on their own terms.
Please tell us something about yourself.
I am a life coach who helps survivors of narcissistic abuse worldwide heal from the emotional and physical pain that comes along with it. I have truly been there in my life. I have decided to use my experience to help as many people as possible to recover.
How did you get into what you do right now? Please tell us more about your journey.
The only reason I am doing what I am doing right now is because of my now long gone chronic pain. Yes, seriously. It all started in… I guess the womb, but let’s start with 2015 in the interest of saving time! I got a wisdom tooth extraction, and then my life would spiral way downhill for the next 4 years. I ended up with TMJ dysfunction and migraines after this procedure. Over the next 4 years, I’d also develop other issues like neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, shoulder and upper back pain, ulcers from taking too many pain killers, it was a nightmare. I’d eventually reach my breaking point by January of 2019 – I had trigeminal neuralgia after getting shingles in my mouth. I was only 30 years old and in the most extreme pain of my life. The shingles caused me to have trigeminal neuralgia – in a nutshell, that’s the inflammation of the nerve which is responsible for the feeling in half your face – it’s also nicknamed the suicide disease because it really is that painful. This was when I discovered the mind-body connection. I was skeptical at first because I didn’t understand it. The main gist behind it is that chronic physical pain is a result of having repressed emotions from childhood trauma. When these emotions are repressed for decades, and we don’t know about it, they have nowhere to go. They’re stuck in the body! So then, our brains recognize emotions as “dangerous,” so they create pain signals as a distraction to focus on our bodies instead of our emotions. I knew I was raised by a narcissist, but part of me didn’t want to believe that that was childhood trauma. I was so desperate for pain relief, though, that I started to do the emotional work, and my pain levels actually went down! Within 4 months, I was pain-free, and this motivated me to help others!
Who are your role models?
Dr. John Sarno – he is the doctor who discovered this theory and coined the term Tension Myositis Syndrome – a fancy medical term for what I just described. He was the first doctor to notice that there is an emotional connection to our physical pain. He was way ahead of his time, and his books and work have literally saved lives.
What inspires you?
The fact that we, as humans, have the power to heal from pain!
Please tell us more about what you do.
Let’s Get Your Shift Together was born once I was out of pain. I knew I just HAD TO do something with this knowledge to help other people get out of suffering. At first, my plan was to just help people who had chronic pain, but eventually, I realized I needed to help people who went through similar trauma as me. Emotional abuse is generally disregarded as an issue by our society, but that is literally what led me to have all that pain. So once I dealt with my fear of “being out there” and “people knowing my secrets,” I realized that I had to shift gears. So many people who have been through narcissistic abuse do have some level of pain in their bodies or mystery symptoms, so it’s very much all related.
Which social media channels work best for promoting your work? What exactly do you do on the social media channel that makes it work for you?
Instagram is my main social media platform that I use to promote my work. I usually share quotes about healing, education on narcissistic abuse, and education about the mind-body connection. I speak openly about emotions and how important it is to express them so we can actually do some healing. Some people call this shadow work, but whatever you want to call it, it works!
I also am on YouTube, Facebook, and I have a podcast called The Shiftshow.
What’s your greatest fear?
People not knowing about the mind-body connection!!
Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you understood better before you ever got started?
That it’s ok to share my stories! Hiding and hoping people connect with you is just not a thing.
What keeps you going when things get tough?
Knowing that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what we’ve been through in our lives, the fact that we’re alive even if we barely made it through the hardships makes us survivors, and healing is always possible. A lot of people feel like narcissistic abuse just scars them for life, and that’s that, but the truth is that you can absolutely heal from it and live life on your own terms, without that fear of what people will think.
Any message for our readers.
If you’ve ever dealt with a narcissist, I want you to know the abuse was never your fault, and healing is within your reach. There is hope for you. If you’re willing to do the work and take your power back into your own hands, that can lead you to amazing things in life you don’t even know are waiting for you!
How can people connect with you?
You can connect with me on my website, Instagram, Youtube, or drop an email at letsgetyourshifttogether@gmail.com.