Tagged With "toxic stress"
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California PACEs Connection initiatives spark new connections in regional meeting
Among PACEs Connection initiatives around the country, it’s well known that our social network is something like a bustling, giant town square where people share ideas, resources and any number of conversations about how to prevent childhood adversity and promote positive childhood experiences. On May 14, PACEs Connection assembled a virtual town square gathering of PACEs initiatives in California, where we have 58 initiatives sparking action all across the state. Speakers at the gathering,...
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Wellness Wednesday - Resilience Prescription
Hi everyone and welcome to another Wellness Wednesday! Today we have an account from a psychiatrist who, after many years studying trauma and the experiences of trauma victims, had the misfortune to become one himself. In a rather dramatic turn of events, Dennis S. Charney was shot by a former co-worker and survived to write about it and to grow from the experience. In his own words, he describes how the situation challenged him to dig deep and uncover the resilience he needed to take him...
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ACEs Handouts - ACC.pdf
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ACEs Infographic - ACC.pdf
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About Our Livestream Guests
Are you ready? It's almost time! Yes, we are 2 hours away from the start of our Father's Day Livestream titled, "ACEs & The Father Wound - A Cross Cultural Discussion" . Join us for the discussion via this link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgeVx3-3EFo With us today will be Mr. Mark Nicoll, Dr. Kenneth Niles, Queen Mother Dianne Sears and Dr. Joanne Spence. Dr. Spence will do double-duty as moderator for this afternoon's discussion. Their bios are below so you will have some context...
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Gwyneth Paltrow x Nadine Burke Harris: How Does Childhood Trauma Impact Health Outcomes? [goop.com]
From Goop, June 16, 2020 “You can’t grow up Black in America and not feel outraged by the terrible health disparities that are still going on every day,” says Nadine Burke Harris, MD , the first surgeon general of California. GP got on a video call with Harris, who is an expert on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Her book, The Deepest Well , explores the connection between adversity, trauma, and toxic stress in childhood and health outcomes later in life. Much of her work focuses on...
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It's time to heal childhood trauma!
A consensus of scientific research demonstrates that cumulative adversity, especially when experienced during childhood development, is a root cause to some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive health challenges facing our nation. But there is hope. We can take action now to change and save lives. The impacts of ACEs, trauma, and toxic stress are treatable. Start by watching the short educational video below. For more information please visit: https://aceovercomers.org/...
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Building a Restorative Restart to School in the Fall
As we look towards the reopening of in-person instruction in the fall, planning and reimagining for a restorative restart to our school systems that emphasizes student and educator mental health is a priority. In addition, there is a windfall of one-time funding coming to districts from federal and local funds for just this purpose. Recently a wise educator said to me, ‘you know, if you want to get to the hearts and minds of school leaders to make changes for the fall you need to do so by...
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Trauma's epigenetic fingerprint observed in children of Holocaust survivors [www.sciencedaily.com]
Date: September 1, 2016 Source: Elsevier Science Daily The children of traumatized people have long been known to be at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mood and anxiety disorders. However, according to Rachel Yehuda from the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who led a new study in Biological Psychiatry , there are very few opportunities to examine biologic alterations in the context of a watershed...
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When Self-Care Doesn't "Work"
You can't fail at self-care. If something isn't helpful, maybe you haven't yet found your own way.
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Racism as an Adverse Community Experience
By Christina Velez, The Relationship Foundation July 15, 2021 Have you ever questioned the ways that racism and trauma intersect? As a person of color, I know I have. Racism is a core determinant of health which often leads to social inequities. From watching PBS’s video on “Mental Fitness for Resilience-The Trauma of Racism” it was interesting to learn how racism and trauma, often converge in inseparable ways. Dr. Terri D. McFadden, a general pediatrician, and professor at Emory University...
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PACEs Champion Dwana Young navigates community-driven ACEs healing centers in New Jersey
In 2020, New Jersey, a state with about 9 million people spread over the rural countryside and dense urban areas like Newark, launched a new entity: the NJ Office of Resilience (NJOR). The NJOR is unusual because it is a public-private partnership. It brings together three private foundations as well as the NJ Department of Children and Families to provide community-driven strategies for preventing, treating, and healing from ACEs. Like a ship’s navigator laying out a course on charts, Dwana...
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Upcoming Presentation on the Causes/Impacts of ACEs in the Caribbean
On Friday, August 27, 2021, at noon, I will be the guest speaker at Port of Spain Adult Library’s monthly International Men's Day Trinidad and Tobago (IMDTT) discussion. The title of my talk is The Causes and Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the Caribbean. ACEs pose huge challenges across the globe. Unfortunately, not much has been done in the Caribbean to uncover the links between ACEs and many of the developmental challenges we face. My presentation will highlight some of...
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PACEs Connection is Taking a Week of Rest
The PACEs Connection team will be taking a week of rest following the Labor Day holiday on September 6. We will be out of the office from September 7-10. We will not be checking or responding to emails or calls. We will not be publishing the Daily Digests and Weekly Roundup during this time. Although the field of Adverse Child Experiences and child trauma has always been a stressful one in which to work, we have been feeling especially overwhelmed lately. Our capacity for feeling, both...
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Overcoming Emotional Flashbacks with Self-Compassion
Emotional flashbacks take a horrendous toll on those who experience them. To feel like you are in danger with all the emotions that accompany it, fear, anxiety, startle, and a myriad of other feelings without understanding where they are coming from is both frightening and debilitating.
This piece will delve deeper into emotional flashbacks and methods to defeat them.
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Brain scans of Black women who experience racism show trauma-like effects, putting them at higher risk for future health problems [theconversation.com]
By Sierra Carter , Georgia State University , the Conversation, September 15, 2021 Black women who have experienced more racism throughout their lives have stronger brain responses to threat , which may hurt their long-term health, according to a new study I conducted with clinical neuropsychologist Negar Fani and other colleagues. I am part of a research team that for more than 15 years has studied the ways stress related to trauma exposure can affect the mind and body. In our recent study...
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Materials Now Available: ACEs Aware September 22 Webinar [acesaware.org]
In Case You Missed It: "The Science of ACEs and Toxic Stress, (Part 3)" September 22 Webinar Now Available WATCH NOW at ACEsAware.org A recording and materials are now available for the second in a series of webinars exploring the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress, presented by Rachel Gilgoff, Clinical and Science Senior Advisor, Aurrera Health Group. Clinicians seeking CME/CE and MOC credits* must complete a separate activity evaluation in order to request...
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ACEs, Food Addiction, and What Most Weight Loss Programs Get Wrong According to Dr. Felitti and Dr. Alman
We know a high ACE score is connected to a higher likelihood of “substance-related disorders.” However, sometimes it’s overlooked that food can be that substance of choice, too—not just drugs or alcohol. Learn about food addiction and ACEs, and a weight loss solution that heals from the inside out endorsed by Dr. Felitti, the CO-Principal Investigator of the ACE Study.
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How to Help Yourself if you’re On a Waiting List for Therapy
One of the positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has increased mental health awareness. Limiting our activities and contact with others has led to so much talk about fear, loneliness, disconnection and mental health. These experiences have made people notice their needs and feel more comfortable seeking help. More people now seek therapy For some, actually getting help has been easier because they could reach out from their living rooms and receive virtual therapy. Yet for...
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Juleus Ghunta aims to make the Caribbean nations PACEs-informed
If Jamaican poet, children’s book author, and appointee to the nation’s Task Force on Character Education, Juleus Ghunta had his way, all 44 million people living in the Caribbean—from Barbados to Guyana to Grenada—would become PACEs-informed in the near future. To start off, everyone—including children, parents, teachers, social workers, doctors, and policymakers—needs to read his new book, Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows: A Story about ACEs and Hope , due out this December, just in time for...
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Book Review: Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows—A Story about ACEs and Hope
Juleus Ghunta’s empowering book Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows—A Story about ACEs and Hope , vibrantly illustrated by Rachel Moss, is a much-needed story of a boy who experiences Shadows that interfere with his ability to read because they make his mind “flicker like a hurricane,” go blank, and sometimes race and “refuse to shut down.” This is an affirming, normalizing contextualization of how bad events and scary experiences, now understood from the science of adverse childhood experiences...
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Me & My Emotions: A New, Free Resource for Teens
The pandemic has had a lasting effect on youth mental health. Moved by a desire to reduce youth’s toxic stress and increase their resilience, The Dibble Institute, in partnership with a team of students and alumni from ArtCenter College of Design and author Carolyn Curtis, PhD, is releasing Me & My Emotions —a new, free adaptation of our beloved Mind Matters Curriculum. The mobile-friendly Me & My Emotions website features engaging graphics and bite-sized lessons teens can access and...
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How We Heal from Adverse Childhood Experiences
It’s not time, but an integrated recovery plan that heals.
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Stress Busters Handout
We all have inner strengths and resilience that can help us deal with challenges and stress. To help us manage stress, PACEs Connection and ACEs Aware created a handout based on seven evidence-based stress busters , as described in the Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health . These interventions can help reduce stress, improve health, and build resilience. Please share widely! The handout is available in the...
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Beginning the Healing Journey: Return to the Resilient Zone
Dysregulated stress is central to the ACEs/health outcomes link. The healing journey starts with regulating stress arousal that is stuck on too high or too low.
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Positive Effects of Giving Thanks: Not Just for the Holidays
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not but rejoices for what he has.” ~Greek philosopher, Epictetus It is that time of year in which the leaves are changing color, the days are getting shorter, and as we prepare for family meals and holidays, we witness a lot more folks talking about what they are thankful for. The days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday lend themselves to a shift in our focus onto what we appreciate in our lives, and we notice folks...
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A Trauma Informed Approach to Vaccine Fear
PLEASE SIGN ON TO THIS MEMO TO SUPPORT OUTREACH ALONG THESE LINES TO THE ADMINISTRATION! If the goal is to impact meaningful change, it might prove helpful to view vaccine fear through a trauma informed-lens. There is an intentional shift from the use of the word “hesitancy” and instead using the more specific and appropriate term “fear”. We are more likely to change that which we better define and understand. The following memo has been developed with input from an interdisciplinary team of...
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Stress Busters Handout
We all have inner strengths and resilience that can help us deal with challenges and stress. To help us manage stress, PACEs Connection and ACEs Aware created a handout based on seven evidence-based stress busters , as described in the Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health . These interventions can help reduce stress, improve health, and build resilience. Please share widely! The handout is available in the...
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The Launch of Heal Trauma Global: Culturally Attuned Trauma Training
Being Trauma-Informed means that we are Culturally Attuned. Heal Trauma Global is a sister company to Heal Historical Trauma and was cultivated to fill a wide gap in stress science & trauma training. The trauma-informed movement is beautiful! It's wonderful that as a society we are moving in a direction that honors an individual's past as part of the driving force behind current behaviors. Yet, time and time again, I have attended trainings that are labeled as Trauma-Informed only to...
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PUB DAY: Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows Released Today
December 31, 2021 – Rohan Bullkin and the Shadows , a provocative new picture book by Jamaican poet and Chevening Scholar Juleus Ghunta, has been released today by CaribbeanReads, a St. Kitts-based publishing company. The book follows the title character, Rohan Bullkin on his journey from reluctant to enthusiastic reader. Rohan’s reluctance to read is fuelled by Shadows – manifestations of his adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress. He improves his literacy with the guidance...
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The myth of survivor solidarity: Why it’s so hard for us to all just get along (culturico.com)
As a Weinstein survivor, I’ve noticed that journalists love to explore the presumed solidarity among “sister survivors” – in our case, the over 100 women who came forward about Weinstein’s sexual predation. But what journalists don’t write about are the challenges in preventing any group of trauma survivors from imploding. Only when we survivors understand the impact of trauma can we overcome the underlying forces that threaten to pull us apart and stand together against injustice and abuse.
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Adverse Childhood Experiences, the Brain, and Exercise: How exercise strengthens the brain wounded by toxic childhood stress
Even small amounts of exercise can quickly and dramatically improve mood, brain health, brain function, and the ability to cope with stress, while preparing the brain to rewire the hidden wounds from childhood.
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Black History Month 2K22- NEW Trainings!
In Honor of Black History Month 2k22 Please Enjoy the Following NEW Trainings: Facilitating a Full Expression of Resilience: BIPOC are resilient. In learning how trauma is formed and passed from one generation to the next in our communities, we will understand how to facilitate a full expression of resilience in vulnerable communities. This course takes a deep dive into the reality of flight or fight mode and how many people enduring oppression, discrimination and hate live with a constant...
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Lead the Fight: Giving Children with Trauma a Voice
You are invited to an international book reading and discussion with children's author and ACEs advocate, Juleus Ghunta. This online event takes place on February 22, 2022 at 6pm EST (7pm Eastern Caribbean Time) on Zoom. Register at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/regform?llr=gh8ueflab&oeidk=a07eiwfmu7gbb690ff4 Juleus is a Chevening Scholar, children’s writer, a member of Jamaica’s National Task Force on Character Education, and an advocate in the Caribbean’s Adverse...
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Upcoming Webinar - Trauma Mitigation for Police and the Policed
Hello everyone, we are targeting law enforcement officers in this blog post so if you know any who may benefit from the information, please pass it along. They might be interested in an upcoming webinar on Tue Mar 22, 2022 at 1:00 PM EDT. TThat's exactly 1 month from today. Here is an excerpt: - "Law enforcement officers routinely respond to situations with intense emotion and a high potential for negative outcomes. Officer mindset and awareness is critical to the best outcomes for them and...
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Nightmares and ACEs: They No Longer Need Rule the Night
Recurring nightmares lead to much needless suffering for survivors of adverse childhood experiences—suffering that goes well beyond disturbed sleep. Five steps help take back the night.
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Stress is Contagious: How to Stop the Spread & Regain Your Health
Stop the spread...of STRESS! Stress is not only triggered by external or internal factors. You can also pick up stress from social interactions – spouse, other household members, colleagues, etc. – usually referred to as emotional contagion. Learn how to stop the spread of stress and regain your health.
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By popular demand: PACEs Connection's PACEs science 101 presentation for anyone to use
You asked for it! It's finally here: PACEs Connection's official PACEs science PowerPoint ! Who's it for? Anyone who needs to do a presentation about PACEs science. How long is it? About 25-30 minutes, depending on how fast you speak. What does it cover? The five parts of PACEs science—epidemiology (the ACE Study and other surveys), the neurobiology of toxic stress (brain science), the short- and long-term health consequences of toxic stress, historical trauma and the effects of toxic stress...
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Research shows only a tiny percentage of physicians integrating PACEs science
Three relatively recent studies from different parts of the U.S. show that only a tiny percentage of physicians, medical school faculty and other healthcare providers are integrating practices and policies based on the science of positive and adverse childhood experiences (PACEs). Why it matters: For people in the PACEs community, the following is news that’s 20 years old: Adverse childhood experiences are common, preventable and linked to six out of the top ten leading causes of death in...
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Free Webinar - Blueprint for Resilience
Hi everyone, we hope you have started the weekend with rest and refreshing to alleviate the stress of the work week. This coming Thursday there is a free webinar from Justice Clearinghouse that is titled: "Blueprint for Resilience - How to Reverse Engineer Burnout & Compassion Fatigue". As the name implies, its focus will be on helping those in careers that involve engaging with suffering to avoid burnout or compassion fatigue. You will learn how to take responsibility for a healthy...
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Healing Your Brain After Loss: How Grief Rewires the Brain
Hi everyone, we hope you are having a relaxing Saturday. The extent to which ordinary persons have suffered and are suffering loss and grief is staggering, particularly after 2 years of addressing COVID 19. For that reason, we think it is helpful to provide you with resources to help you and equip you to help.oters who may be dealing with tragic loss and grief. In the recent (2021) American Brain Foundation webinar “Healing Your Brain After Loss: A Neurologist’s Perspective,” Lisa M.
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Progress is Success!
We live in a world that is so fast paced. People are always looking for quick answers and multitasking to achieve more in a shorter time! The past couple of years has been extremely difficult. Many of us were forced to halt, not just pause but stop! That can be a very hard process for our minds, emotions, brain and our body. Having withdrawals from a fast paced life is not something we are taught to be prepared for. So here we are, everyone managing the best way we know how. We are resilient...
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PACEs Research Corner — April 2022
[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site — abuseresearch.info — that focuses on the effects of abuse, and includes research articles on PACEs. Every month, she posts the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs, PCEs and PACEs. Thank you, Harise!! — Jane Stevens] Child Abuse Vermeulen S, Alink LRA, van Berkel SR. Child Maltreatment During School and Childcare Closure Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Child Maltreat. 2022 Feb...
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Neuroplasticity, Imagery, and Adverse Childhood Experiences
The disturbing neural imprints from adverse childhood experiences need not be a life sentence. Imagery is an extremely helpful tool to modify the circuitry of the brain, utilizing the principle of neuroplasticity. Imagery strengthens and stabilizes the brain, while laying down alternative neural pathways.
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New Podcast Episode! Get to know the Leaders of the Caribbean ACEs Movement
Latchkey Urchins are kids who grew up unsupervised or without attentive emotional care. Latchkey Urchins & Friends Podcast delves into trauma and childhood emotional neglect topics weekly through survivor and expert interviews. We bring a touch of humor to these normally heavy topics—laughing about life's never-ending struggles, even as we quest to create a future free from violence. In this week's episode, cohosts Anne and Alison (me!) interview @Adrian Alexander and @Juleus Ghunta ,...
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Reach Within from Grenada Wins Award from Island Innovation and Clinton Foundation.
Hi everyone, we have exciting news to share! A Caribbean organisation called Reach Within that operates on the island of Grenada has been awarded the COVID-19 Response Award for its innovative programmes over the past 2 years by Island Innovation , in partnership with the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative . The virtual awards ceremony took place on April 25, 2022. Island Innovation is an official nominating organization for The Earthshot Prize a global prize launched by...
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Emotional Intelligence and Healing Hidden Wounds
What is emotional intelligence? How does it help us cope in the present and heal the hidden wounds from childhood that continue to disturb us?
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Register now! Dr. Bruce Perry to discuss historical trauma and help launch new "Connecting Communities One Book at a Time" book study with his best-seller, "What Happened to You?"
Please join us on June 28 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET for a virtual conversation with best-selling author Bruce Perry. Ingrid Cockhren , CEO of PACEs Connection; Mathew Portell , PACEs Connections’ director of communities, and Perry, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, will engage in a conversation concerning historical trauma and Perry’s best-selling book " What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing, " which he co-authored with Oprah Winfrey. Please share this blog...
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SIGNS YOU’RE A COMPASSION FATIGUED LEADER — AND 10 TIPS FOR RECOVERY
By Shakima L. Tozay, (first published @ Govloop.com) Are you emotionally and physically exhausted? Do you no longer feel a sense of personal accomplishment in your work? Have you become more disconnected from your co-worker? Over the last 2 years, the emotional impacts of the pandemic and the exodus of workers in what has been called the Great Reshuffle, has taken a major toll on many leaders. Last year, nearly 48 million U.S. workers left their jobs. Additionally, the “hidden...