Tagged With "toxic stress"
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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...
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To prevent mass shootings, stop relying on the myth of motive; start doing forensic ACE investigations
Because in his 180-page diatribe, 18-year-old Payton Gendron provided a motive for shooting 10 people in Buffalo, NY, on Saturday night, police didn’t need to search for one, as they often have other in mass shootings. But if we want to prevent mass shootings, using motive as a way to prevent mass shootings will just get you a useless answer to the wrong question.
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Trauma-Informed Leadership
Trauma-informed leadership equips us to navigate an increasingly complex landscape in the workplace.
We don’t all need to become clinical psychologists to lead our teams, but it is important to gain an understanding of the impacts of trauma exposure.
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Building A Trauma-Informed Culture
A trauma-informed culture understands the potential impacts of past trauma and is equipped to navigate these workplace impacts.
This article explores a few more potential factors at play in working with those with past trauma. We will also introduce a few tools to help navigate the impacts of past trauma and build a trauma-informed culture in the workplace.
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Underground Shame from Adverse Childhood Experiences: Understanding Prepares the Heart to Heal
New understanding of the brain provides hope for breaking the painful grip of shame that’s imprinted in childhood and continues to affect adults. Rewiring shame calls for more than the traditional left brain approaches.
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Fight or Flight Hormone Response
With over half of all adults experiencing some trauma in their lifetime and almost 8% of the population experiencing PTSD, it is likely that leaders will encounter the effects of the fight or flight hormone response.
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48-Hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program
Iya Affo & Heal Historical Trauma Presents New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various cultures from...
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Fixing Toxic Workplaces
Happy Wellness Wednesday everyone! We hope you are having a great week. With more workplaces seeking to return to pre-COVID 19 operations, a key aspect of transformation needs to be the elimination of toxicity from the work environment. Today, we are all more aware of the importance of mental health and wellness and the reality and detrimental effects of micro aggressions in the workplace. We also know that these challenges can exacerbate a person's pre-existing adverse childhood experiences...
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Looking at ACEs through Trauma Informed Lens
Brains aren’t just formed and its structure for development in early childhood is determined by more than just our genes, they are also built based on our experiences. Early childhood experiences can affect the development and physical architecture of our brain, which provides the foundation for future learning, behavior and health. Think about building something that will last through time. We would usually focus on a strong foundation and connect the rest of the structure from that...
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Secondary Traumatic Stress - a Hidden Epidemic Join Us Sept. 30th
The "Great Resignation," "Quiet Quitting," and rising social awareness of historical racism have all brought attention to a common but frequently overlooked hazard of caregiving professions: Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). In the execution of duties, professions that support our society with compassion and empathy can face traumatic stress from exposure to the experiences of the people that they are there to support. This stress can have deleterious physical and emotional consequences...
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Psychology Today article - How to Help Survivors of Extreme Climate Events
Hi everyone, with the recent devastation faced in the Caribbean and parts of the USA from Hurricane Ian, it's timely for us to highlight that extreme climate events can negatively impact the mental health of survivors. The article linked to below was written by Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW and published in Psychology Today on 30 September 2022. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-resiliency-trauma/202209/how-help-survivors-extreme-climate-events For us in the Caribbean, in...
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How to Help Survivors of Extreme Climate Events (psychologytoday.com)
By Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma Psychology Today, September 30, 2022 Mental health can suffer after extreme climate events. KEY POINTS Mental health conditions exacerbated by natural disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. After a disaster, the number of people needing assistance from the mental health systems strains or exceeds community capacity. There are simple strategies helpers can use to help survivors restore...
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10 Tips for Sexual Abuse Prevention
When we consider the high numbers of children that are sexually abused it is disappointing how little is out there to support parents in prevention efforts. Although Erin’s Law has brought Sexual Abuse Prevention to many children in the school setting, parents are still often at a loss as to how to talk to their children about this difficult topic. As a therapist who has specialized in treating child sexual abuse for twenty years, I have crossed paths with thousands of children and families...
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48-Hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program- COHORT 1 & 2
NOT TOO LATE FOR COHORT 1!! Also registering for COHORT 2!! New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various...
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48-Hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program- COHORT 2
New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various cultures from around the world. In this inclusive study we rely...
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A Promising Treatment for Hidden Wounds from ACEs (Repost)
Hi everyone, For this Wellness Wednesday, we would like to share an article posted last week on PACEs Connection. The article was written by Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D., author of The Adverse Childhood Experiences Recovery Workbook. His article outlines a promising trauma treatment known as Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). According to the article, ART is an evidence-based treatment for trauma and other stress-related conditions that is quick, effective, safe, and well-tolerated.
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Tackling Homelessness in Grenada
Hi everyone and Happy Monday! 😀 To start things off this week, we want to highlight the work of Reach Within (https://www.reachwithin.org/) of Grenada. We featured them before and heralded their work with post residential and vulnerable youth and also celebrated their recognition from the Clinton Foundation. Their work recently gained attention from the local media in Grenada due to their support of a young man who had spent most of his life in residential care...
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Can I Really Be Happy After a Crummy Childhood? Yes, you can!
A difficult past need not define you, nor determine your future. We explore three paths to building a satisfying life after hardship in childhood.
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Screen for Relational Health, Not Just Physical and Emotional Health
What gives me hope is that we have agency in this. We can make eye contact or provide physical touch, if those are appropriate and feel comfortable; we can be kind, we can bring intention to building connection – it all has ripple effects. And we can put.down.our.phones.!