I have to tell you, this episode of The Amberly Lago Show is one that I know is going to land in the hearts of so many of you. My incredible friend Tiffaney Childers joined me for one of the most raw, real, and deeply powerful conversations I have had on this show. Tiffaney is the bestselling author of The Rise Back, a suicide loss advocate, speaker, and a fellow CRPS warrior who has walked through fire and come out the other side with a story that will stop you in your tracks.
Tiffaney lost both of her parents to suicide within a year and five days of each other. She spent nearly two decades suppressing that grief, raising her kids, pushing forward, and holding it all together from the outside. And then her body said enough. A hip surgery led to a CRPS diagnosis, the mask came off, and everything she had buried came rushing to the surface all at once. What she did with that pain, physical and emotional, is nothing short of extraordinary.
Here are three powerful takeaways from our conversation.
Your Body Will Always Tell the Truth
Tiffaney described it perfectly: she had shoved her grief down so far for so many years that it eventually came out in her physical body. Her CRPS diagnosis became the turning point that forced her to stop running and finally face everything she had buried. I believe this with everything I have. Pain demands to be felt and if we do not feel it, it will find a way to speak. Whether it shows up as chronic illness, burnout, addiction, or emotional shutdown, suppressed trauma always finds a way out. The healing truly does begin when we stop pretending we are okay and get honest about what is really going on inside.
The Power of Saying “I Am Not Okay”
One of the most moving moments in our conversation was when Tiffaney talked about the night she looked at her husband and said those four words: I am not okay. Not “I’m fine.” Not “I’m just tired.” She told him the full truth. And that was the beginning of everything changing. Those words take courage. But I truly believe there is a gift in desperation, and sometimes hitting that wall is exactly what sets us free. If you have been white-knuckling it and telling everybody you are fine while you are crumbling on the inside, this episode is your permission slip to tell the truth. You do not have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to say it out loud.
The Rise Up Method: Small Steps That Lead to a Big Life
Tiffaney walks through her Rise Up acronym in this episode and it is so good! R is for reach out before you shut down. I is for ink it out, get it on paper and out of your body. S is for sit with it, which she says was the hardest and the most necessary. E is for embrace who you are becoming. U is for unlearn the lies your brain has been feeding you. And P is for protect your peace, because not everyone deserves access to your healing. These are not giant leaps. They are small, intentional steps that anyone can take no matter where they are in their journey. And sometimes that is exactly what we need, not a big overhaul, just one tiny step forward.
If you have ever loved someone who struggled with mental health, if you have experienced loss that you have never fully processed, if you are living with chronic pain and wondering how you are going to keep going, this episode was made for you. Tiffaney’s story proves that our darkest moments do not have the final word. From the rubble of unimaginable loss, she has built something beautiful and she is using it to light the way for others.
Tune in now and let Tiffaney’s story remind you that the rise back is always possible.
About Tiffaney Childers
Tiffaney Childers is the bestselling author of The Rise Back, a suicide loss advocate, speaker, and CRPS warrior who lost both of her parents to suicide within a year and five days of each other. After nearly two decades of suppressed grief, a chronic pain diagnosis became the catalyst that launched her healing journey and ultimately her calling. Through her Rise Up Method and her work with the LOSS Team, Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors, she walks alongside those who have been shattered by loss and helps them reclaim their voice, their power, and their identity.
Connect with Tiffaney:
Website: risesavage.com
Instagram: @tiffaneychilders
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