Gabrielle Union is opening up about how past trauma once affected her ability to be present as a parent.
During a recent conversation with trauma therapist Lashauna Cutts of Nema Health, the 53-year-old actress reflected on how her experience with PTSD made it difficult for her to stay engaged in everyday moments with her daughter, Kaavia James.
“We’re in the backyard — it’s our own backyard. We have security. Armed security on our house,” she said. “But I’m like, ‘What if they get past him?’ I can’t watch you do cartwheels if I’m thinking about if a fictitious criminal mastermind somehow thwarts security and comes through the back gate. I can’t parent, I can’t be present like that.”
After undergoing treatment through Nema Health to address her PTSD, she is now able to be more present for her 7-year-old.
“And now, I’m just watching her do cartwheels. I can be present enough to actually hear what she’s saying,” Union shared.
She said the work she has done allowed her to feel a sense of calm at home and within her marriage. “And it’s created a peace in our home, in our marriage that everyone is appreciative of. That I clearly was not as aware of the heaviness that existed in our house,” she said.
In a post tied to the interview, Union shared more about her experience and how long it took to heal.
“I lived with PTSD for 34 years after being sexually assaulted at 19. I did everything I was supposed to do (allllll the therapy, year after year) and recovery still felt out of reach,” she wrote. “What I didn’t know (and what most people don’t know) is that there’s a treatment designed specifically for trauma. It took me 34 years to find it. I wouldn’t wish 34 years of suffering on anyone.”
Union also encouraged others to seek help and said she is living proof that recovery is possible.
She added, “No two traumas are the same. But if yours has changed how you live, how you love, how you feel safe in your own body – you deserve real care. And remember: recovery is possible. I’m living proof. Follow @nemahealth for more on treating PTSD and recovering from trauma.”