Trauma Survivor’s New Book Offers Help, Hope, Healing
Paula Jauch's past threatened to undo her. Her childhood filled with neglect, abuse, addicted parents, learning struggles; her teen years in a gang and as a young mother of two; her years in an abusive relationship. By age 21, she had three children and was struggling to survive.Then one day she shut herself in the closet of her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, and contemplated suicide. Her son, age 6 at the time, opened the door and cried, "I hate you, Mommy. All you do is cry." It took a child's honesty and nudge from outside herself to cry out, "If you are real, I need to know you now!"
God came to Paula Jauch that day and changed her life. Not immediately and not without lots of work on her part, but today Jauch is a different woman intent on helping others overcome their pasts.
Her new book, "Cross Addicted: Breaking Free From Family Trauma and Addiction" was released last month.
"I wrote the book because I needed a lot of help. Even after I had accepted Jesus I still didn't know how to get help for my self-destructive behaviors and addictions," said Jauch, who now lives in West Michigan. "I want to help people get free from trauma and addiction and understand the healing that needs to take place."
She gave her life to Christ at age 21, but she fought cutting, drugs, and addictions related to food. She got involved in a church, but she still wrestled. She moved, remarried, and had another child, but the behavior patterns remained. She worked with Christian therapists who told her to pray and memorize Scripture, but nothing changed. Then, at age 35 after a second divorce, she had a breakdown.
"That's when someone told me about another therapist, this time a secular one. I went to her wanting an eating plan, but she said she wouldn't give me one until I told her about my childhood," said Jauch. "We started to work through my suppressed memories; she taught me that what I went through as a child wasn't normal. It was the first time I heard the words trauma and PTSD."
Starting in 2014, Jauch went through three years of intensive trauma therapy. She started writing "Cross Addicted" in 2015 as part of her healing process.
"I learned that it took trauma therapy at the same time I was asking Jesus to heal the wounds in my heart to begin to heal," said Jauch.
Jauch is now a motivational speaker, sharing her message of hope and recovery at events around West Michigan, on the radio, and through her book. Visit her at www.paulajauch.com or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. She's also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
"We all have some secret struggle, some past pain we're trying to heal from. My book is a message of hope," said Jauch. "If I can heal, so can you. If I can heal from my childhood trauma and get free from addictions, so can you."
"Cross Addicted" is available at Baker Book House and via online retailers. Jauch will speak and sign copies of her book on Thursday, March 26, at 7 pm at Baker Book House.
IF YOU GO
Paula Jauch will speak and sign copies of "Cross Addicted"
When: 7 pm Thursday, March 26
Where: Baker Book House, 2768 East Paris Ave SE
Paula Jauch will speak and sign copies of "Cross Addicted"
When: 7 pm Thursday, March 26
Where: Baker Book House, 2768 East Paris Ave SE
