Finding Spiritual Healing After Workers' Compensation Trauma: A Journey to Recovery

As Ballina Gee and I come to a close with our work on Shattered Docuseries Expisodes 1 and 2, which without a doubt have been the most traumatic in the series we both took a moment to reflect on our own healing and wanted to share those thoughts with you. I won't lie, it has been hard this past twelve months as we traversed the country meeting these five women and also dealing with our own experiences of a system that betrayed. We would not be human if we were not impacted by it all. But to loose yourself forever in a system, is to surrender your personal power and we have both taken steps to self care and soothe our souls. We all must try to find a path to healing and hope for it is there that the human spirit can once again soar. We hope our words of reflection might be of help to some as you navigate your own journey towards healing.

Reflection

When a workplace injury occurs, we expect a system of support and care to help us recover. But for many, the workers' compensation system becomes a source of deep moral injury – a wound not to the body, but to the soul. This is my reflection on finding healing through spirituality after experiencing systemic abuse and structural violence within the workers' compensation system itself.

Understanding Moral Injury

Moral injury occurs when we experience a profound betrayal of what's right, especially by those in authority who should have protected us. With workers' compensation, this betrayal can take many forms: having our pain dismissed, being treated like filfth instead of human beings in need, watching as case managers manipulate us and delay or deny necessary care, having our own body agency taken away from us, our privacy breached, our cries for help ignored and our voices silenced hurts. The feeling of powerlessness in a system that seems designed to break our spirit rather than heal our injuries cannot be adequatedly expressed in writing. It is a horrible world to live in and one that you don't even know the rules. There is no guidebook, no brochure on what to expect, no understanding of what you must do, just a language you must soon learn and thus become institutionalised. It's cruel.

The Deep Impact

The effects of this moral injury run deep:

- Loss of faith in institutions and justice

- Damaged sense of self-worth and dignity

- Isolation from others who cannot understand

- Questioning of fundamental beliefs about goodness in the world

- Struggle to trust in care providers and authority figures

No matter where you are on your journey or, if you have faith or no faith, what matters is YOU and I hope you will gain a little from this raw discussion Ballina Gee and I had at the conclusion of filiming.

Finding Spiritual Medicine

While physical therapy helps heal the body, spiritual practice can help heal the soul. Here's how spirituality has helped many find their way back to wholeness:

1. Reconnecting with Sacred Worth

Every spiritual tradition teaches that human beings have inherent worth beyond their productivity or ability to work. Meditation, prayer, or simply sitting in nature can help us remember our sacred value cannot be diminished by how others treat us.

2. Finding Community in Faith

Whether through organized religion or informal spiritual gatherings, finding others who understand moral injury can break the isolation. Many faith communities have long traditions of supporting the wounded and standing with the oppressed.

3. Practicing Radical Acceptance

Spiritual teachings often emphasize accepting what we cannot change while working to transform what we can. This helps us stop fighting reality while maintaining our commitment to justice and reform.

4. Reclaiming Personal Power

Through spiritual practice, we can rediscover our inner authority and strength. This doesn't erase the injury, but it helps us carry it with greater resilience and purpose.

The Journey Forward

Healing from moral injury is not a linear path. Some days we may feel strong in our spiritual practice, while other days the weight of the betrayal feels overwhelming. Both experiences are valid parts of the journey.

What matters is that we:

- Honor our pain without letting it define us

- Find practices that reconnect us with meaning and purpose

- Build community with others who understand

- Use our experience to advocate for systemic change when we're ready

Creating New Meaning

Many who heal from moral injury through spirituality discover they've gained deep wisdom about human suffering and resilience. Some find purpose in supporting others going through similar experiences or working to reform the systems that caused harm.

Closing Thoughts

If you're struggling with moral injury from workers' compensation abuse, know that your pain is real and valid. Your spiritual journey of healing matters. While the system may have failed to honor your humanity, you can reclaim your sacred worth through spiritual practice and community.

Remember: healing happens in its own time. Be gentle with yourself as you navigate this path. Your journey toward wholeness is a holy thing, worthy of patience, care, and deep respect.