Specifically, we are tracking
and researching the relationship between PTSD and DID,
(Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Identity
Disorder), and their
related co-morbidities throughout the developmental lifespan
and to assess and consider the role of wellness,
resiliency and spirituality have as essential and integral parts for
achieving optimal health and Oneness--the synergy of mind, body,
spirituality of the soul. We are mindful of the importance that
self-care and resilience affords in the recovery from trauma and
traumatic events. These events impact traumatically on our
The
gifts of imagination and creativity were at the forefront and
forethought of many of those who met the challenges of the twentieth
century. While it took centuries to understand the motion of the
celestial universe-our stars and planets, the understanding of the whole
world of subatomic particles is a phenomenon of the 20th century.![[New!]](smallnew.gif){kind=small}
®
100% Secure Transaction
For your protection, this Web site is secured with the highest level of SSL Certificate encryption.
|
|
 Under
Temporary Re-Construction,
Thanks for your patience!
________________
Menus:
Narcissism-Narcissistic Personality Psychological Trauma Definitions ________________
By Category
Traumatic Brain Injury and Battered Women Attachment and Human Development Attachment & Traumatic Separation Dissociative Fugue & Dissociation Narcissistic Personality DSMIV Developmental Neurobiology -Dissociation DID Developmental Neurobiology and EMDR Developmental Neurobiology and PTSD Developmental Neurobiology and Trauma Circadian Rhythm and REM Behavior Disorder Circadian Rhythm and Sleepwalking Self-Mutilization & Resilience Emergence and Positive Psychology Neglect and Wellness Emotional Regulation III Homelessness Psychological Trauma Definitions
Human Stress Continuum Stress Symptoms: Cognitive-Emotional-Physical-Behavioral-Spiritual Cognitive Symptoms: Memory dysfunction, difficulty concentrating, anomia, dyscalculia, difficulty solving problems, denial (readiness) Emotional Symptoms: Anxiety, depression, lability, flat affect, uncontrolled anger/irritability, panic. Physical Symptoms: Fatigue or mania, muscle tremors, gastrointestinal distress, neurodermatitis, vertigo, difficulty sleeping. Behavioral Symptoms: Withdrawal, dramatic change in usual behavior, aggressiveness, changes in eating/drinking patterns, self-medication. Trauma Symptoms Intrusive Symptoms: Recurrent images, thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, distress on exposure to reminders of the traumatic event (s). Avoidance Symptoms: Marked avoidance of stimuli that arouse recollections of the trauma, such as thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, places and people. -Inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma. -Restricted range of affect. -Feeling of detachment or estrangement from others.-Foreshortened sense of future. Arousal Symptoms: Difficulty sleeping, irritability, poor concentration, hypervigilence, exaggerated acoustic startle response, restlessness.
From the Auckland Museum Auckland, New Zealand
Sky Tower Auckland, NZ
Sunrise New Zealand
Sunset/Moonrise New Zealand
Maori Entrance Downtown Plaza Auckland, New Zealand
Queen Elizabeth II Docked in the Hauraki Gulf Auckland, New Zealand
*Queen ElizabethII Auckland, NZ
Huaraki Gulf Auckland New Zealand
_______
________
Resiliency and Adaptation
Body Dysmorphia menu _________________
Spirituality and DID
Spirituality and Healing
Neurobiology of Trauma ___________________
______________________ |
 |
Psychological and Physiological Trauma Research
Seize Your Journeys ______________________ * It's natural to be afraid when you are in danger, or in dangerous situations. It's natural to be upset when something bad happens to you or someone you know. But if you feel afraid and upset weeks or months later, it is time to seek help, as these are all signs of posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD. This is a real illness, occuring after living through or seeing a dangerous event, such as war, hurricane, tornado or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid even after the danger is over. it affects your life and those around you. It can happen to anyone at any age, including children, too! You don't have to be physically hurt to get PTSD. You can get it after you see other people, such as a friend or family member, get hurt. ________________
Some causes of PTSD are:
Symptoms of PTSD
PTSD Symptoms in Children
PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later. PTSD can be treated by a doctor or mental health professional who has experience in treating people with PTSD. Treatment includes therapy, including "talk" therapy, medication, EMDR, or all three. Treatment is not the same for everyone. Drinking alcohol or using drugs will not help PTSD, may even make it worse. _________________ Traumatic stress is found in many competent, healthy, strong, good people. No one can completely protect themselves from traumatic experiences. Many people have long-lasting problems following exposure to trauma. Up to 8% of persons will have PTSD at some time in their lives. People who react to traumas are not going crazy. What is happening to them is part of a set of common symptoms and problems that are connected with being in a traumatic situation, and thus, is a normal reaction to abnormal events and experiences. Having symptoms after a traumatic event is NOT a sign of personal weakness. Given exposure to a trauma that is bad enough, probably all people would develop PTSD. By understanding trauma symptoms better, a person can become less fearful of them and better able to manage them. By recognizing the effects of trauma and knowing more about symptoms, a person will be better able to decide about getting treatment. _____________
"...traumatized people are frequently mistreated in the mental health system. Because of the number and complexity of their symptoms, their treatment is often fragmented and incomplete. Because of their characteristic difficulties with close relationships, they are vulnerable to become re-victimized by caregivers. They may become engaged in ongoing, destructive interactions, in which the medical...system replicates the behavior of the abusive family." (Judith Lewis Herman, M.D., from Trauma and Recovery-The Aftermath of Violence-from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror (1992,p.123) ________________
“The core experiences of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others. Recovery, therefore, is based upon the empowerment of the survivor and the creation of new connections. Recovery can take place only within the context of relationships; it cannot occur in isolation. In her renewed connections with other people, the survivor re-created the psychological faculties that were damaged or deformed by the traumatic experience. These faculties include the basic capacities for trust, autonomy, initiative, competence, identity, and intimacy. Just as these capabilities are originally formed in relationships with other people, they must be reformed in such relationships. The first principle of recovery is the empowerment of the survivor. She must be the author and arbiter of her own recovery. Others may offer advice, support, assistance, affection, and care, but not cure. Many benevolent and well-intentioned attempts to assist the survivor founder because this fundamental principle of empowerment is not observed. No intervention that takes power away from the survivor can possibly foster her recovery, no matter how much it appears to be in her immediate best interest. In the words of an incest survivor, “Good therapists are those who really validated my experience and helped me to control my behavior rather than trying to control me.” (Herman 1992, 133) _______________ Battered Women’s Syndrome Battered Women’s Syndrome is considered to be a form of Post-Traumatic Stress. Battered Women’s Syndrome is a recognized psychological condition that is used to describe someone who has been the victim of consistent and/or severe domestic violence. To be classified as a battered woman, a woman has to have been through two cycles of abuse. What is a Cycle of Abuse?A Cycle of abuse is abuse that occurs in a repeating pattern. Abuse is identifiable as being cyclical in two ways: it is both generational and episodic. Generational cycles of abuse are passed down, by example and exposure, from parents to children. Episodic abuse occurs in a repeating pattern within the context of at least two individuals within a family system. It may involve spousal abuse, child abuse, or even elder abuse.
A son, who is repeatedly either verbally or physically abused by
his father, will predictably treat his own children in the same
way. When a daughter hears her mother frequently tear down,
belittle, and criticize her father, she will adapt a learned
behavior which involves control through verbal abuse. Similarly,
a child who witnesses his parents engaging in abusive behaviors
toward one another, will very likely subject his or her spouse
to the same abusive patterns. These are examples of generational
abuse. Stages of Battered Women's Syndrome There are generally four stages in the battered women’s syndrome. Stage One–Denial Stage one of battered women's syndrome occurs when the battered woman denies to others, and to herself, that there is a problem. Most battered women will make up excuses for why their partners have an abusive incident. Battered women will generally believe that the abuse will never happen again. Stage Two–Guilt Stage two of battered women's syndrome occurs when a battered woman truly recognizes or acknowledges that there is a problem in her relationship. She recognizes she has been the victim of abuse and that she may be beaten again. During this stage, most battered women will take on the blame or responsibility of any beatings they may receive. Battered women will begin to question their own characters and try harder to live up their partners “expectations.” Stage Three-Enlightenment Stage three of battered women's syndrome occurs when a battered woman starts to understand that no one deserves to be beaten. A battered woman comes to see that the beatings she receives from her partner are not justified. She also recognizes that her partner has a serious problem. However, she stays with her abuser in an attempt to keep the relationship in tact with hopes of future change. Stage Four–Responsibility Stage four of battered women's syndrome occurs when a battered woman recognizes that her abuser has a problem that only he can fix. Battered women in this stage come to understand that nothing they can do or say can help their abusers. Battered women in this stage choose to take the necessary steps to leave their abusers and begin to start new lives. If you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. They will direct you to safe places in your area where you can seek help.
Sunrise or Sunset? Use your Imagination!
Trauma Research
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I Post Traumatic Stress Disorder II PTSD Post 911: After the Adrenaline Dissociative Identity Disorder EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Asperger's Disorder and Infancy Asperger's Disorder and Childhood Asperger's Disorder and Adolescence Asperger's Disorder and Development Circadian Rhythm & Sleep Walking Sleep Disorders & Traumatic Stress Magnetic Resonance Imaging & Trauma Magnetic Resonance and Traumatic Stress Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging and PTSD Cingulate Gyrus and Traumatic Stress Limbic System & Traumatic Stress
Childhood Attachment and Trauma
Attention Deficit Disorder
Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and PTSD Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and Trauma Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and Traumatic Stress Disorder Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and Dissociation Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder Adult Attention Deficit Disorder/Adult Development
Self-Care and Traumatic Stress
Resiliency and Traumatic Stress
Spirituality & Physical Health Spirituality & Mental Health I Spirituality & Mental Health II Spirituality and Positive Psychology
Imagination and Traumatic Stress
Family Change & Traumatic Stress Family Change & Emotional Interdependence New Families & non-resident father-child visitation Family Change & Non-Traditional family structures Family Change & the Changing Family
Nature Journeys
and Trauma
"Diversity"
Our logo imagery-the eliptical orbit of the infinity circle, illustrates the evolving life cycles of human development, journeying from inutero and birth, throughout the developmental lifespan. Our perspective is from an holistic integrative view, asserting a basic point of departure for its view of human nature. This basic point of departure is that we are all born with a divine spark. Following birth, many things dynamically happen that impede or foster our individual and personal growth—both physically and emotionally.
Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression—an illness associated with the delivery of a child—is caused by changes in hormones and can run in families. It is distinguished from “baby blues”—an extremely common reaction following delivery—both by its duration and the debilitating effects of indifference the mother has about herself and her children. About one in 10 new mothers experience some degree of postpartum depression; women with severe premenstrual syndrome are more likely to suffer from it. Women with postpartum depression love their children but may be convinced that they are not able to be good mothers.
On Mystification: "The mystified person is one who is given to understand that he feels happy or sad regardless of how he feels he feels, that he is responsible for this or not responsible for that regardless of what responsibility he has or has not taken upon himself. Capacities, or lack, are attributed to him without reference to any shared empirical criteria of what these may or may not be. His own motives and intentions are discounted or minimized and replaced by others. His experience and actions generally are construed without reference to his own point of view. There is a radical failure to recognize his own self-perceptions and self-identity. And, of course, when this is the case, not only his self-perceptions and self-identity are confused by his perceptions of others, of how they experience him and act toward him and how he thinks they think he thinks, etc., are necessarily subjected to multiple mystification at one and the same time." Laing, Ronald D., Mystification, Confusion, and Conflict.
Website Inspiration
The inspiration for the concepts and ongoing development of this web site is from the myriad individual people and families whom I have had the privilege of meeting along the landscapes and life cycles of my journey, and by Homer's epic poems and writings–specifically
The Odyssey.
Indeed, it is in The
Odyssey where Odysseus–the Warrior King of Ithaca has been
chosen by the gods to leave wife and his home in Greece on the
day of the birth of his son, and to amass his army to set sails
to journey and do battle in the Achaean expedition in Troy.
After more than a decade of war with Troy, he was given the
insight to build the Trojan horse, and defeated the Trojans.
It is The Odysseys
(wanderings) of Odysseus throughout the world after the fall of
Troy, and the faithfulness of his memory in his absence by his
wife, Penelope, that is also inspirational and spiritual,
as Odysseus had to undergo and bear myriad of seemingly
unbelievable adventures of pain and torment at the hands of the
god, Poseidon. With all of his ships and army lost and he
being the only survivor, finally returns to Ithaca with the aid
and support of the Phaeacian king. Assisted by the goddess
Athena, he is reunited with his wife, son and father.
Although Homer's, The Odyssey is more than 2,500 years old, it's mythological story provides us with a true understanding of Trauma, PTSD, DID, and the myriad Traumatic Stress and stressors of modern day life, as the social and psychological aspects of it's characters emerges as does a recently snapped polaroid picture comes alive as an instantly captured moment in time. ___________________
About The Odyssey:
"The Odyssey opens with Homer's invocation to the muse of poetry, in which he states the subject of the epic and asks for her (goddess Athene) guidance in telling his story properly. It is, he says, the tale of a lonely man who has wandered throughout the world for many years and who has suffered many hardships before his attempt to return home was successful." "When the story proper begins, all of the survivors of the Trojan War have reached their homes, with the exception of Odysseus. He is being detained by the nymph Calypso, who hopes to make him her husband, and while most of the gods are sympathetic to him. Poseidon, ruler of the sea, bears him grudge and makes him undergo many torments." From The Odyssey. Cliff Notes on Homer's The Odyssey, p.14 _______________________ To learn more about Homer's epic poems, including The Iliad, (another favorite of mine from Homer) go to Amazon.com
Best Regards, John R High, CEO Lifecyclejourneys.com ©2000-2011 A Secure website
|
|
Our Profile Mission and Vision
Your Research interests are our Quests
We are a secure website, designed for both sensitive research and ecommerce, thereby protecting and encrypting private and sensitive research data and information, enabling the presentation of private research, as well as business and financial information and data. This is extremely important when receiving private essays and narratives, and in collaboration with myriad researchers on trauma, some are listed on our site. Our Website is currently under re-reconstruction, specifically to accommodate our newly included and developing journeys ecommerce store. You will be able to shop at our ecommerce store at: www.journeysStore.lifecyclejourneys.com
For updates/ ongoing information on the continued re-construction of our website, as well as our eCommerce site, click on the info tab above on the horizontal bar. Although our eStore will start off rather small, we hope to have at least 25 items of interest by the middle of November, 2011, as well as linkages to several of our recommended affiliates. Whenever you visit our site, please review our Info page to observe the ongoing progress of our ecommerce store. You may also browse, select and use our myriad research abstracts, papers, bibliographies and documents, most all of which are Trauma related, on our Contents page. Soon, you will be able to purchase our research packages and ecommerce items and books online for a nominal fee. You will also find this information on the Info tab on the horizontal bar above. We welcome your comments and ideas. We value the extreme importance privacy affords those submitting private essays and narratives, and in collaborative efforts such as the trauma researchers on our site, focusing on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Dissociation, and related psychological, social and medical research. On our site, you will also find research bibliographies and abstracts and related data on the Physiology of Behavior, Body Dysmorphia, developmental neurobiology, developmental traumatology, the trauma of African Americans, the trauma of Homelessness, Psychological Trauma Definitions, and a pletheora of related neurobiological co-morbidities to posttraumatic stress disorders, and covering the scope of lifespan developmental schemas. We welcome any communications you may wish to extend to us in improving our site, as we mindfully seek to become a leading provider in and of the ongoing study, research and practice in the search for new pathways to access and assist with optimal wellness, enhanced imagination, and authentic creativity. As independent researchers, we hope to engage professional peer collaboration, observing related trends, news, theory, practice and research, and to enable optimal health and wellness. At Life Cycle Journeys, we will mindfully seek to become a leading provider in and of the ongoing study, research and practice in the search for established and new pathways to access and assist with optimal wellness, enhanced imagination, and authentic creativity--as well as myriad schemas to provide insight, helpfulness and support and to aid and assist in the alleviation of the "Overwhelming Demands Placed upon the Physiological System" that results in a 'profound felt sense' of Vulnerability and or loss of control. Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD, Alexander C. McFarlane, Traumatic Stress: Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society. We hope to intuitively engage collaboration, observing and reporting related trends, news, practice and research, and to enable possibilities that may make differences in overcoming the overwhelming nature of psychological and physiological LifeSpan trauma, amid some of the traumatic events unfolding in our lives at the dawn of this new millennium, and assisting with the illumination of the the landscapes that points to the north star of our wellness and resilience! To all of our collaborative clinicians--physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and related service workers engaged in our health care delivery systems, we ask that you consider the roles of controlled attachment, disorganized attachment, its impact on trauma. and the myriad constellations of psychological injuries that are impeding developmental growth often in the beginning stages of lives. Early childhood, formal education, internships, field training, and clinical experiences teaches that trauma—specifically inutero and early childhood and related traumatic events (including physiological) are at the core of emotional/ psychological disturbances in people’s lives. These disturbances results in trauma, and are manifestations of myriad abuses, including injuries to the spiritual self, battering, bullying, abuse and neglect and emotional damage. They, then become major contributors to the many medical and psychological concerns, which themselves become obvious to the health care delivery systems when patients/ clients whose mental status becomes questionable requiring medical as well as psychiatric interventions. We are honored and privileged by your visit to our website! Our flashing lighthouse beacon is our symbol of continuous searching for pathways of hope! Hope for the solutions and the alleviation of the psychological stressors of ongoing developmental lifecycles from inutero through old age. Too, The multidimensional eliptical orbit of the infinity circle (our logo) depicts our logo imagery by design, illustrating the life cycles of human development, journeying from inutero and birth throughout the developmental lifespan. Our perspective is from a holistic integrative view, asserting a basic point of departure about human nature...that we are all born with a divine spark. Following birth, myriad life force dynamics happen that may often impede or foster ones individual and personal growth—both psychologically and physiologically. Our vision and focus are at the nexus of trauma etiology as manifested during these intermittent life cycle stages.
**Secure Attachments as a Defense Against Trauma, PTSD DID and EMDR (defined), Affect Regulation and Dysregulation in Traumatized Individuals Manifestations of the Absence of Self-Regulation, Anxiety Disorders. At Lifecyclejourneys.com,
we hope to enable myriad professionals and lay persons who are especially
interested in the research and of trauma, its etiology and its
role in lifeSpan developmental growth with the training and insight and ability to then enable their
patients/ clients with the understandings of the allostatic
load/ homeostasis plays in their ongoing lifecycles.
In the biology of the human living system, 'allostasis' refers to physiological mechanisms that enable the system to adjust beneficially to diverse stressors through cumulative adaptive changes in physiology and its behavioral manifestations, in the process mitigating potentially seriously injurious external and internal perturbations of system viability. by category
Recovery from trauma and traumatic stress are essential to our well being. Because trauma is also complex, myriad points of departure are used for addressing and aiding in recovery. One such aid has been the use of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR has not only been useful in treating PTSD, Dissociation and their co-morbidities, but shortens traditional therapies by years, often becoming successful in just a few sessions by a trained and certified EMDR therapist. At Life Cycle Journeys, we will seek to mindfully become a leading provider in and of the ongoing and continual search for pathways to assist in the recovery from the overwhelming nature of Psychological and Physiological Trauma. Girded by our research on Psychological and Physiological Trauma and Attachment, we are mindful of the role that early attachment disruption has on the allostatic load in the establishment of a secure base for optimal health throughout the developmental stages of the human lifecycle. Imagination! Sunrise or Sunset?
No matter what the perception, if seen at a certain time of morning or evening, either can leave one not only speechless, but breathless as well!
Imagination 1 a mental faculty forming images or concepts of externalnot present to the senses. 2 the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful. 3 the process of imagining. Resilience 1 (of a substance, etc.) Springing back; resuming its original shape after bending, compression, etc. 2 (of a person) readily recovering from shock, depression, etc.; buoyant --resilience n. resiliency n resiliency adv. We believe that Imagination and Resiliency are keys to recovery from adverse events, and that we all should embrace these gifts we all physiologically have onboard at birth, and should be prepared to not only activate these divinely inspired gifts, but make use of these two innate tools in the service of societies. These innate onboard tools--imagination and resiliency, may prove to be critical in our lives once the human genome research/ studies reaches its fruition. As a civilization, we are poised now, ready to engage the mapping of diseases and myriad anomalies of the human condition, here at the dawn of our new millennium. On June 21, 2000, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, which has been taking pictures of Mars for the past two years, found, and continues to find evidence of water. Indeed, our civilization is poised on the threshold of the next great external conquest--Deep Space. Our vision and focus are at the nexus of trauma etiology as manifested during these intermittent life cycle stages. Specifically, we are tracking PTSD, dissociation and their co-morbidities throughout the human lifespan. We are following the holistic path of Health and wellness to assess and consider the role of wellness, resiliency and spirituality as essential and integral parts for achieving optimal health, and Oneness--the synergy of mind, body, spirituality of the soul. We are mindful of the importance that self-care and resilience affords in the recovery from trauma and traumatic events. "Remembering and telling the truth about terrible events are prerequisites both for the restoration of the social order and for the healing of individual victims." Judith Lewis Herman, M.D., from Trauma and Recovery-The Aftermath of Violence-from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror (1992,p.1) As the new millennium began, we were all confronted with the events of September 11, 2001, and its traumatic aftermaths. The remarkable television footage showing the two airliners taken over by terrorists smashing into the World Trade Center--and crashes at the Pentagon and the fields of Pennsylvania verified that we need not be present to experience the trauma and traumatic stress symptoms associated with overwhelming dramatic and traumatic events. These attacks carried threats of further attacks on our nation as well as our own personhood, requiring our health care facilities and clinicians to try and be prepared in ways as has never before in our national history been necessary. Since the main goal of terror is to take away-erode and disrupt the ongoing healthy aspirations and normal flow of a person, group or society, health care and health care clinicians are not only at the frontlines of our defense, but also are crucial to the safety and security of us all."...traumatized people are frequently mistreated in the mental health system. Because of the number and complexity of their symptoms, their treatment is often fragmented and incomplete. Because of their characteristic difficulties with close relationships, they are vulnerable to become re-victimized by caregivers. They may become engaged in ongoing, destructive interactions, in which the medical...system replicates the behavior of the abusive family." (Judith Lewis Herman, M.D., from Trauma and Recovery-The Aftermath of Violence-from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror (1992,p.123) These events impact traumatically on our First Responders, who neither question nor hesitate to engage the landscape of traumatic events, providing emergency mental health, aid, comfort and assistance to those affected by the man-made and natural disasters of 9/11, the Asian tsunami, Katrina, Iraq and the current Middle-East conflict are rendering new meanings to PTSD, Dissociation, and lifeSpan trauma. We hope our informational resources will prove to be a bridge over trouble waters, in your search for aid, as you search for the psychological and psychological understandings of trauma and traumatic stress as you seek and find assistance and ways back to optimal health.
Recovery from Trauma
“The core experiences of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others. Recovery, therefore, is based upon the empowerment of the survivor and the creation of new connections. Recovery can take place only within the context of relationships; it cannot occur in isolation. In his/ her renewed connections with other people, the survivor re-created the psychological faculties that were damaged or deformed by the traumatic experience. These faculties include the basic capacities for trust, autonomy, initiative, competence, identity, and intimacy. Just as these capabilities are originally formed in relationships with other people, they must be reformed in such relationships. The first principle of recovery is the empowerment of the survivor. She must be the author and arbiter of her own recovery. Others may offer advice, support, assistance, affection, and care, but not cure. Many benevolent and well-intentioned attempts to assist the survivor flounder because this fundamental principle of empowerment is not observed. No intervention that takes power away from the survivor can possibly foster her recovery, no matter how much it appears to be in her immediate best interest. In the words of an incest survivor, “Good therapists are those who really validated my experience and helped me to control my behavior rather than trying to control me.” (Judith Lewis Herman, MD Trauma and Recovery 1992, 133)Recovery from trauma and traumatic stress is essential to our well being. Because trauma is also complex, myriad points of departure are used for addressing and aiding in recovery. One such aid has been the use of
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
EMDR has not only been useful in treating
the co-morbidities of PTSD and Dissociation, but shortens traditional therapies by years, often becoming successful in just a few sessions by a trained and certified
EMDR therapist. *EMDR has a broad base of published case reports and controlled research which supports it as an empirically validated treatment of trauma. The Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Practice Guidelines have placed EMDR in the highest category, recommended for all trauma populations at all times. In addition, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies current treatment guidelines have designated EMDR as an effective treatment for PTSD (Chemtob, Tolin, van der Kolk & Pitman, 2000) as have the Departments of Health of both Northern Ireland and Israel, which have indicated EMDR to be one of only two or three treatments of choice for trauma victims. Most recently, the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline (2004) has placed EMDR in the category of highest level of effectiveness." Shapiro, 1999, 2001, 2002.
We are dedicated to inform, review and share insights into trends, news, research
and reports from the concepts of Imagination, The use and
Power of Myth and Ritual, Trauma and Traumatic Stress, Wellness,
Resiliency and Spirituality. At LifeCycleJourneys, we will seek to mindfully become a leading provider information and research in and of the ongoing and continual assistance and directions, highlighting the search for pathways to optimal wellness, assisting in the recovery from the myriad traumas of the landscapes. We hope to offer some clarification to these traumas, as well as insights into the mystification of applied treatments, using mindfulness, imagination and creativity in the supportive role of making a difference amid some of the confusions that have been cycled /recyled into the dawn of our new millenium; the overwhelming nature of Psychological and Physiological Trauma. We view holistic health as the umbrella for our point
of departure for having and maintaining optimal health, and our innate and
onboard physiological nature of
resilience and resiliency for our strengths to
bounce back from adverse events as we pursue our hopes and dreams for our lives!
"The mystified person is one who is given to understand that he feels happy or sad regardless of how he feels he feels, that he is responsible for this or not responsible for that regardless of what responsibility he has or has not taken upon himself. Capacities, or lack, are attributed to him without reference to any shared empirical criteria of what these may or may not be. His own motives and intentions are discounted or minimized and replaced by others. His experience and actions generally are construed without reference to his own point of view. There is a radical failure to recognize his own self-perceptions and self-identity. And, of course, when this is the case, not only his self-perceptions and self-identity are confused by his perceptions of others, of how they experience him and act toward him and how he thinks they think he thinks, etc., are necessarily subjected to multiple mystification at one and the same time."Laing, Ronald D., Mystification, Confusion, and Conflict. Our profile, mission and vision are at the nexus of trauma etiology as manifested during these aforementioned intermittent life cycle stages. We research attachment, separation and loss and the role resiliency has in optimizing lifespan development. Specifically, we are tracking PTSD, dissociation and their co-morbid connections throughout the lifespan, with a keen eye on the role of resiliency, spirituality, self-care, imagination, allostatic load, and the concept of wellness has on the recovery from trauma, PTSD and dissociation. We are mindful of the often hidden aspects of TBI (traumatic brain injury) and will keep updated with ongoing research on this site! As you may now see, our website is about the physiology and the psychology (psychophysiological) aspects of LifeSpan Trauma, and traumatic experiences of and in people's lives. It is also about recovery from Trauma, Health and Wellness, spirituality, resiliency, and recovery from these traumatic events and experiences. We are dedicated to the concepts of Holistic Health and Wellness, the optimum state of overall health and well-being. Wellness is achieved through the prevention and alleviation of trauma and related stressors, toxic stresses and injuries—both mental and physical, to the mind body and spirituality of our souls. These stresses/ stressors and injuries, when present, work against the senses of our perceptions and feelings of our mind, body and spirit—our spirituality and sense of well-being, thereby having toxic and negative affects on the emotional and physical connections of mind-body synergy. Holistic Health Holistic health is a non-medical philosophy of well-being that considers the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life as closely interconnected and balanced. Advocates of the holistic health philosophy typically seek or use a wide variety of alternative practices, the most common of which include acupuncture, ayurveda, Siddha, chiropractic, naturopathy, yoga, aromatherapy, Cannabis cultivation and homeopathy. One of the oldest but newest treatments in holistic medicine is used for tears in your knees, backs, shoulders and more called "Ultrasound Directed Prolotherapy". Advocates of alternative medicine often employ the use of the holistic health philosophy to claim that conventional medicine does not address the needs of the patient as a whole. Supporters of conventional medical practices dispute that claim and point to certain trends within conventional medicine that could also be described as "holistic", such as wellness programs focusing on whole-body health programs of nutrition, exercise, and preventive care. Holistic MedicineThe term Holistic Medicine has become common among practitioners of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine to denote
an approach to
Thank you for visiting us. Please come back daily, or as often as you can. Several parts of our website that are under construction are changing almost daily. by category
Spiritual Injuries, Traumatic Assaults on the Soul http://www.johnrolandhigh.com/
Spiritual Injuries, Traumatic Assaults on the Soul My Journey Through Childhood and Family Trauma to Recovery Purchase the book listed above, just click on the URL below. or receive my book within 5 business days, you may purchase directly from my desk by credit card, please email me at johnhigh@lifecyclejourneys.com. Specify either paperback or hardcover.
*©Spiritual Injuries are the often conscious and willful attempts to deliberately degrade and diminish the development of the psyche of the child/ person and thereby alter and or re-direct the ongoing moral developmental stages of the moral, psychological and physiological structure of the mental, social and behavioral presentations of the individual (s), group, race, culture and their very livelihood. Spiritual injuries are an attempt (s) to change and render ones complete character, sense of well-being and dependence to something or someone outside of themselves, in a dominating effort to subjugate and take over control of the person. Being analogous to Battered Women’s Syndrome (BWS) Battered Men’s Syndrome and Battered Children’s Syndrome (see Appendix M) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (see Appendix H), Spiritual Injuries describes someone who currently is or has been the victim of ongoing, consistent repeatedly severe violence to the point where this violence results in Psychological Trauma, the overwhelming demands placed upon the psychological system that results in a profound felt sense of vulnerability and/ or loss of control (van der Kolk and McFarlane, 1996.) This is to include myriad forms of violence as in domestic violent intrusions, as mentioned earlier, and/ or consistent and repeated attempts at diminishing and degrading ones ego and self-esteem and survival systems. (see Appendix O, Psychological Trauma, The Human Stress Continuum). Children are born vulnerable to the behaviors of their parents, caretakers and remain vulnerable throughout their latency stage, preadolescent, adolescent to their young adulthood. Often, adverse early childhood experiences have a far-reaching impact on the children’s developmental stages. Because of its sometimes subtle applications, Spiritual Injuries are often denied by the victim (s) who often expresses guilt and makes excuses for the abuser/ victimizer, relying on their hope, optimism and on their resiliency to recover from the abuse, and because of developmental circumstances, remain with their abuser. In an attempt to escape their abuse, children often run away from home (a clear notice that “something is wrong in Denmark.”) Unfortunately, even Social Services often miss or ignore these signs of abuse, often returning the children and adolescents to their family of origin or to a foster family, where often the cycle of Spiritual Injuries abuse begins over again. This cycle occurs repeatedly, showing a pattern of abuse occurs in families, cultural groups, races, and is both episodic, generational and inter-generational. This pattern of abuse is not limited to women and girls, but to boys and men, also. Men are not educated to perceive themselves as victims, and are often taught “grow up and be a man” that they are strong, tough, masculine and strong. Developmentally, the child needs its mother or caretaker through at least age three. It is during this stage that the child is trying to find security and safety in its environment and is constantly looking at the mother/caretaker for repeated assurances. This begins the affect regulation physiological stages for the child. If the mother/caretaker is unavailable due to post-partum depression or is just too busy with other things and other children, the child suffers enormously as it is during this stage that the mother/ caretaker absolutely has to be there with unconditional love, that is, almost always undivided attention. Since the child is wired for this stage, it has no alternative but to seek out these assurances from the mother/caretaker as it is absolutely impossible for a child during this stage to be in a position of fending for him/herself. In human development instruction/ courses, you see children during this stage seeking assurances but not getting them. They indicate their frustrations by excessive wetting or urinating, crying, often kicking with their feet and hands as though they are indeed have a hard time. Often the mother/caretaker ignores these attempts at attention0seeking of the infant, to the developmental peril of the child, and very often you will observe that the child at certain points is beginning to give up on having their needs met by the mother/caretaker. This is often indicated by the varying intonations in their voices when they are crying and in despair. To the daring ear and eye, it is readily observable and noticeable that the child is in despair and at the stage when it is giving up on having its needs met. In later life, these are the children that are abused and neglected, physically and sexually assaulted and abused, and are as adults today, in our institutions such as prisons, psychiatric wards, or court proceedings. All of this, I believe, is a result of the lack of unconditional live during the first stages of life, birth to three years. Further, these children most always find themselves in poor relationships with others, marriages or otherwise, as they do not have the ability to receive love as well as give it because in the very prime stages of their life, they were not exposed to the mother’s/caretaker’s unconditional love. Recovery from Trauma “The core experiences of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others. Recovery, therefore, is based upon the empowerment of the survivor and the creation of new connections. Recovery can take place only within the context of relationships; it cannot occur in isolation. In her renewed connections with other people, the survivor re-created the psychological faculties that were damaged or deformed by the traumatic experience. These faculties include the basic capacities for trust, autonomy, initiative, competence, identity, and intimacy. Just as these capabilities are originally formed in relationships with other people, they must be reformed in such relationships. The first principle of recovery is the empowerment of the survivor. She must be the author and arbiter of her own recovery. Others may offer advice, support, assistance, affection, and care, but not cure. Many benevolent and well-intentioned attempts to assist the survivor founder because this fundamental principle of empowerment is not observed. No intervention that takes power away from the survivor can possibly foster her recovery, no matter how much it appears to be in her immediate best interest. In the words of an incest survivor, “Good therapists are those who really validated my experience and helped me to control my behavior rather than trying to control me.” (Judith Herman 1992, 133)
Spiritual Injuries, Traumatic Assaults on the Soul. Special Edition, 01-29-2011 http://www.johnrolandhigh.com/
______________
Resilience Ability to bounce back from trauma and get on with life. Learn from negative experiences and translate them into positive ones. Resilient children are not invulnerable to trauma or immune to suffering. They find ways to cope, set goals, and achieve their goals despite myriad obstacles like drug-addicted parent, dire poverty, or physical disabilities thrown into their paths. Being resilient does not mean a life without risks or adverse conditions, but rather learning how to deal effectively with inevitable stresses of life. There is no such thing as life free of losses and setbacks. People who lack resilience are less able to rise above adversity or learn from their mistakes and move on. Instead of focusing on what they can control and accepting responsibility for their lives, they waste time and energy on matters beyond their control. As a result, the circumstances of their lives leave them feeling helpless and hopeless and prone to depression. When things go wrong or don’t work out as expected, they tend to think “I can’t do this” or even worse, “It can’t be done.” Children learn to become resilient under parents and guardians who enable and encourage them to figure things out for themselves and take responsibility for their actions. They need to learn that they are capable of finding their own way. Parents who are too quick to take over a task when their children complain “I can’t do this” or children learn from their mistakes.
John Roland High, Author and Trauma Clinician
accessed 0097756011 times
Seize Your Journeys™ Copyright © March, 2000-2011 Registered ®™ - All Rights Reserved.Send comments and questions to: webmaster@lifecyclejourneys.comLast modified: November 11, 2011._________________
Marketplace / Queen Victoria Square / Auckland, New Zealand
Information on this site is not intended to take the place of trained clinicians and psychotherapy.
Our logo imagery design, logo themes, concepts, vision, website development and construction implementation, Research and Development were created by John Roland High, PhD Candidate, MA,(High Honors) CTSS, EMDR-L2, and CEO. LifeCycleJourneys.com, Registered and copyrighted in March, 2000-2011, All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
Copyright © 2000-2011 LifeCycleJourneys All Rights Reserved |
|
|
