December 2019

It was Pete Walker, an M.A. in psychoanalysis, who first coined the phrase emotional flashback to describe the gut-wrenching experience of reliving the helplessness and dissociation caused by trauma. In his book, Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving, Walker describes many aspects of emotional flashbacks and how the inner critic holds people hostage. I shall be referencing this book throughout this work.

Dr. B. is a Professional Keynote Speaker, Certified iPEC Coach, and an Organizational Trainer. She strives to take very complex concepts and make them manageable and understandable. Let’s talk about qualifications, briefly, she has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Parent-Child Mental Health (PIMH) and a strong emphasis in Neuropsychology.

It is easy to be pessimistic about ACEs and just accept the fact that they will occur, but this isn’t how we will effectively progress as a society. We need to understand that there are things we can do in our own communities to encourage positive changes and prevent these issues from occurring. What Can Be Done? It should be noted that ACEs and the associated problems with them are preventable. Essentially, by creating an environment that is safe, stable, and nurturing, it will go a long...

Wanted to share this timely message from National Alliance on Mental Health (Nami.org) about how one of our most dominant cultural traditions competely disregards the reality of mental health challenges in kids by assigning simplistic labels of "naughty or nice" to them: ".. why is it that, every Christmas, millions of kids get labeled either “nice” or “naughty,” rather than something less reductive? After a few centuries of dishing out coal, that sobering thought occurs to Santa Claus...

By Hannah Allam, National Public Radio, December 15, 2019 The nonprofit Parents For Peace wants Americans to see extremism as a public health emergency — one that cuts across race, religion and politics. The members are former extremists and their families. LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: The nonprofit Parents For Peace wants Americans to see extremism as a public health emergency that cuts across race, religion and politics. Members of the group include former extremists and their families.

By Susan Ferriss, The Center for Public Integrity, December 16, 2019 Newly obtained government documents show how the Trump administration’s now-blocked policy to separate all migrant children from parents led social workers to frantically begin tracking thousands of children seized at the southern border and compile reports on cases of trauma. In June 2018, months after the Trump administration began its so-called Zero Tolerance policy to deter migrants trying to enter the United States, an...

By Leslie Walker, California Health Care Foundation, December 13, 2019 When a patient goes to the doctor with a serious complaint, what if the cause is not a medical issue? What if someone’s diabetes is spinning out of control because they can’t afford healthy food, or their asthma is acting up because their apartment is moldy? Unlike an infection or a broken bone, clinicians can’t fix social needs with a simple prescription or procedure. Imagine having a patient who can no longer afford to...

By John D. Moore, Psych Central, December 1, 2019 Do you struggle with depression? Looking for practical coping strategies? If the answer is yes, you aren’t alone. As an aspect of my OCD, I’ve battled the blues my entire life. Here are ten small things you can do each day to help lift your mood. Some of these suggestions may seem silly. That’s OK. Try them anyway. What do you have to lose? 1. Practice gratitude when you first wake up. Using your five senses, identify two or more things you...

By Joyce Schelling, Bangor Daily News, December 16, 2019 Maine has the nation’s highest rate of anxiety and the third highest rate of depression among children ages 3-7. It is above the national rate for behavior problems and children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). The average number of suicides per year by youth under age 20 is well above the national average and has risen by 50 percent in just five years. It’s time to ask if these frightening...

JOIN How-To: Join ACEs Connection How-To: Join ACEs Connection Groups INVITE How-To: Invite Others to Join ACEs Connection How-To: Invite Others to Join an ACEs Connection Group SIGN IN & UPDATE PROFILE How-To: Sign In to ACEs Connection How-To: Update Your Profile and Contact Info How-To: Add or Change a Profile Picture EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS How-To: Customize Your Email Notifications for ACEs Connection Main Site How-To: Customize Your Email Notifications for ACEs...

By Traci Pedersen, Psych Central, December 2, 2019 A new study published in the journal Neuroimage shows that inflammation may be responsible for the mental sluggishness that often accompanies illness. Many people who struggle with chronic illness report severe mental fatigue that they often describe as “brain fog” or “sluggishness.” This condition can be as debilitating as the disease itself. For the study, a research team from the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Human Brain Health...

By Maria Godoy, National Public Radio, December 17, 2019 For many people, a package of applesauce is simply a convenient lunchbox staple or a snack you turn to when you're feeling sick or can't keep much else down. But when Tunde Wey looks at applesauce, he sees a tool for social justice. Wey is the founder of BabyZoos, a start-up food company focusing its work in Kalamazoo, Mich. He launched the company this year after learning a startling statistic: Black infants born in Kalamazoo County...