Trauma and Resiliency

Trauma is an everyday occurrence in our world.  Everyone experiences it at some point or another.  Whether it’s something “normal” like an auto accident or surgery, or whether it’s something more unusual, like an attack, abuse, combat or seeing someone killed, it happens to a lot of people.  But most people recover fairly well, and … Continue reading Trauma and Resiliency

PTSD is not (exactly) an illness

Flashbacks.  Avoiding public places.  Hiding in the closet.  Jumping at sounds.  Nightmares.  Waking up shaking or screaming.  Yelling at loved ones for no reason.  Feelings of fear, anxiety, shame, rage.  These are some common symptoms of PTSD.  (Childhood trauma can manifest itself a bit differently.) There may also be depression, numbness, lack of ability to … Continue reading PTSD is not (exactly) an illness

The impact of childhood trauma

I've worked with a lot of people with addiction (and I've struggled with addiction myself).   At some point I realized that among the people I knew well with addiction, the only ones who hadn't told me about awful things that happened to them as children were the ones who hadn't told me anything about their … Continue reading The impact of childhood trauma

Childhood Trauma

What is complex childhood trauma? Childhood usually involves a few traumatic events: accidents or injuries, unintended separations, grief over minor losses, etc. Events such as these can have some long-term impacts, but often they don’t. However, some children experience things that are usually more serious: divorce, death of a parent, ongoing abuse or neglect, a … Continue reading Childhood Trauma