Sacred Journey Therapy Blog

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Christmas can be a very happy and loving time for many people but unfortunately it is not necessarily true for everyone. It is a time of increased demands and pressures that often push people to sooth or cope with the help of different substances. Substance use is often part of a much larger personal and family dynamic. That being said, I have recently been reminded of a book I read many years ago, Adult Children of Alcoholics by Janet Woititz.

The book was very popular at the time and it remains one of the more helpful documents for people trying to understand their present conditions and their existing behaviours. If alcohol is part of your personal experience or someone close to you then I recommend Janet’s book and the many many resources available on the internet … just google  “Adult Children of Alcoholics” to find more information

13 Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics … Read More

In Nova Scotia first responders get a helping hand if they have been challenged by PTSD. Responder with PTSD diagnosis received on or after Oct. 26, 2013, can refile a claim even if they were denied benefits in the past.

University of Toronto to vote on controversial mental health absence policy.

Universities struggle to acknowledge and support the mental health of their students. How can they provide barrier free access and yet ensure the safety and learning objectives of the institution and the individual students? This is becoming a big issue with no simple answers. Read More …

Alanna Rizza , The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, June 27, 2018 1:44PM EDT 
Last Updated Wednesday, June 27, 2018 7:47PM EDT

Perhaps not so surprising but Mental Health issues have a profound effect on the performance of students at school. Late night panic attacks, depression, stress, and anxiety are among the top issues. Student-led mental health initiatives shifting how schools provide supports  Read More …

McGill University’s campus in Montreal is photographed on Tuesday, June 21, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is planning to spend $10 million over five years to research the positive and negative impacts of cannabis on mental health. This is all happening now, two or three months before the legalization of cannabis in Canada.

They will be looking at  “The negative impacts of cannabis use on mental health outcomes, the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids, the influence of mental health problems and illnesses on patterns of cannabis use, and the experiences and needs of diverse populations who live with cannabis use disorder and/or a mental illness are not well understood. ”

Canada has one of the highest cannabis consumption rates in the world, with more than 40 per cent of Canadians reporting they had used it at least once in their lifetime. Fifty-four per cent of youth in Canada report using cannabis before grade 12.

Read More …

Why do teenagers seem so much more impulsive, so much less self-aware than grown-ups? Cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how typically “teenage” behavior is caused by the growing and developing brain.

“Equitable access to psychotherapy is a striking gap in Canada,” says Bartram. Allied mental health professionals, such as clinical psychologists, social workers and psychotherapists, are excluded from provincial and territorial health insurance plans. Over 12 million Canadians without access to employer-funded psychotherapy and psychological services are left to pay out-of-pocket or wait for limited publicly funded services.

read more ….

This is a great video (4 minutes) that explains how to influence child brain development in a positive way. Each time a child is stressed through TOXIC stress it makes the balanced brain development of a child more difficult. This is a good video from the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative.

http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/how-brains-are-built-core-story-of-brain-development

Panic attacks and anxiety can be very confusing when they happen. We often feel frustrated because parts of our life become closed off from us, we fear things that are actually safe, we avoid things we used to love and our overall quality of life is diminished.
One of the frustrating things can be understanding what “triggers” the event and how to stop the pattern. The idea of over-coupling can provide insight into this challenging process.

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/why-do-i-feel-this-way-over-coupling-stress-response-0411184

Symptoms such as foggy thinking, high startle response, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, fast heart rate, and shallow berating can show up after medical interventions for yourself or loved ones.

With all good intentions our medical system strives to help in many ways. We may struggle with personal medical issues or medical issues with our kids and loved ones while doctors and nurses strive to support our healing. At times (too often it seems) our systems are overloaded and traumatized by the medical interventions our body experiences.

Trauma causes suffering but it does not have to plague us for our entire lives, seek help with a professional mental health practitioner.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/ptsd-in-the-hospital-why-the-emotional-scars-of-serious-illnesses-linger-long-after-treatment-1.4590370