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Write the Book Inside You

#66 Brad Wetzler: Writing Memoir to Heal Trauma, Transform your Life: A Spiritual Journey

January 28, 2025 • Caryl Westmore

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Host: Caryl Westmore
Guest: Brad Wetzler

Brad Wetzler travelled the world as an acclaimed journalist writing for The New York Times, National Geographic, Newsweek, GQ, and other prestigious publications.
But his fame masked a dark side: childhood trauma, PSTD and addiction to prescription drugs that almost killed him.

Brad’s story is one of adventure, trauma, and ultimately, healing through writing. From being a celebrated travel journalist to struggling with misdiagnosed mental health conditions and overmedication, Brad shares his deeply personal journey of transformation.

Brad's memoir, Into the Soul of the World: My Journey to Healing, helped him process past trauma and PSTD so that he ended up reclaiming his true self. Brad shares the healing power of yoga, travel, and spirituality—including an extraordinary experience with a 100-year-old yogi in India.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in memoir writing, healing through storytelling, and finding hope after trauma.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The pivotal moment in Brad’s childhood that led to years of trauma
✅ How a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder shaped his life—and how he found healing
✅ How travel and yoga played a crucial role in his recovery
✅ The profound impact of writing a memoir as a healing tool
✅ The spiritual awakening Brad experienced in India with a 100-year-old yogi
✅ Why writing your own healing memoir can be life-changing

Connect with Brad Wetzler:
🔗 Website: bradwetzler.com
📸 Instagram: @bradwetzler
📘 Facebook: @bradwetzler

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

📖 Into the Soul of the World: My Journey to Healing by Brad Wetzler – Get it here
📘 Bust Writer’s Block Forever by Caryl Westmore Get it here
📚 ChatGPT AI Book Writing Formula by Caryl Westmore Get it here

Join Caryl’s Writing Community

If you’re ready to write your own client-attraction book, download Caryl’s free resource: 📌 Five Book Hook Tips to Kickstart Your Book Writing Journey – Get your free guide at writethebookinsideyou.com/freegift

✅ Recommended - get my FREE CHECKLIST:
5 Book Hooks you must have to Captivate non-fiction Readers: Checklist (Free): https://www.writethebookinsideyou.com/freegift

✅ Connect with Caryl Westmore on social media!

https://www.facebook.com/carylwestmoreauthor
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https://twitter.com/carylwestmoreuk

Show Sponsors: Books for Writers by Caryl Westmore: ChatGPT AI Book Writing Formula , Steps to Prompt, Write, Publish, a Non-fiction Client-Attraction Book, 10-100x faster and easier assisted by AI. Bust Writer's Block Forever www.bustwritersblock.com and The Inner Path of Writing, Make Love not War to the Writer Within . Details here: https://www.ipwbook.com

Caryl Westmore:
Hello, and welcome back to Write the Book Inside You, the podcast filled with tips, tools, and interviews about books that inspire, transform, and heal. My mission is to help authors share their wisdom and transformative stories with the world.

But now, let's dive into today's episode. I’m honored to have an extraordinary guest, Brad Wetzler, whose personal journey is a testament to the power of transformation through writing.

Introducing Brad Wetzler

Caryl Westmore:
Brad Wetzler is an award-winning journalist and travel writer. In his 20s, 30s, and 40s, he lived the dream as a globe-trotting adventurer. But behind the exciting travels, he was living a lie. His book has been described as a trip to hell and back with glimpses of paradise along the way.

Welcome, Brad!

Brad Wetzler:
Hi, Caryl! It’s so good to be here with you.

Caryl Westmore:
Your book is incredibly layered, and I know it will resonate deeply with my listeners, many of whom are healers, therapists, and coaches—either working through their own trauma or helping others heal. You write about how psychiatrists diagnosed you as bipolar and how you later realized that your suffering was deeply rooted in childhood trauma. Let’s start there—what were the early experiences that shaped your journey?

Brad Wetzler:
It all goes back to a pivotal moment when I was 12 years old. I went on a father-son canoe trip in Northern Arkansas. None of us knew how to canoe, and the river was roaring from heavy spring rains. At one point, our canoe tipped over. I got caught in the current, and suddenly, I felt a powerful snap—I was jerked backward, trapped. My life jacket had snagged on a submerged log, and I kept getting pulled under and then released, over and over.

Meanwhile, I watched my father float to safety on the riverbank, doing nothing to help me. I was stuck for what felt like an eternity—probably five to ten minutes—before another canoe crashed into the log and set me free. When I got home, I told my mother about it. I had cuts all over my body. But my father denied it ever happened. He insisted I had only snagged my shirt on a twig.

That moment—being trapped, abandoned, and gaslit—became the foundation of a lifetime of trauma. I grew up in a home with alcoholism, and as the sensitive, feeling child, I became the scapegoat. The trauma was both acute and complex—I was not only physically trapped that day on the river, but I also felt trapped in my family’s dysfunction.

The Impact of Misdiagnosis

Caryl Westmore:
That’s heartbreaking. And later in life, you were diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a single 45-minute session with a psychiatrist. You mentioned in your book that you might as well have titled it Adventures in Psychiatry: How I Sold My Soul to the Medical Establishment. Tell us about that experience.

Brad Wetzler:
Yes. In my teens and college years, I struggled with PTSD, depression, and emotional flashbacks. But back in the 1980s and '90s, trauma wasn’t widely understood. A distant family member referred me to a psychiatrist, who, after just 45 minutes, diagnosed me as bipolar and prescribed lithium. That started a years-long journey of being overmedicated with antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, sedatives, and sleeping pills. By the time I was in my 40s, my kidneys were failing from the medications.

The Turning Point: Healing Through Travel and Yoga

Caryl Westmore:
What finally set you on the path to true healing?

Brad Wetzler:
It started when my fiancée’s nephew died by suicide. Sitting with his body that morning, I had a wake-up call. I realized that if I didn’t get off the medication, I would end up like him. Around the same time, I read about a new hiking trail in Israel, tracing the path Jesus supposedly walked. Something inside me said, I have to go. So, I went—and that trip cracked open my spirituality.

I realized I wasn’t going to become Christian again, but I was open to something greater than myself. Returning home, I reconnected with yoga, which brought me back into my body after years of being numb. I also found a psychiatrist who helped me safely taper off all medications. Once I was off them, it became clear: I wasn’t bipolar—I had PTSD. That realization saved my life.

A Healing Journey in India

Caryl Westmore:
Your healing also took you to India, where you had a profound experience with a 100-year-old yogi. Can you share that story?

Brad Wetzler:
Absolutely. While in India, a friend told me about an old yogi living in a cave. We hiked up a mountain to find him. When I entered his cave, I bowed at his feet, overwhelmed by the moment. Then, he smacked the top of my head. I later learned this was Shaktipat—a direct transmission of spiritual energy. The next morning, I had a mystical experience that lasted 12 hours, where I felt deeply connected to the universe. That experience became an anchor in my life.

Closing Thoughts

Caryl Westmore:
Your story is incredibly inspiring, Brad. Your book, Into the Soul of the World: My Journey to Healing, is a must-read. Where can people connect with you?

Brad Wetzler:
They can visit my website, bradwetzler.com, or find me on Instagram and Facebook. I also offer writing coaching and will soon be leading travel retreats to India.

Caryl Westmore:
That sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us today.

To my listeners—if you're thinking about writing your own healing memoir, let Brad’s story inspire you. Until next time, keep writing!