Sacred Journey Therapy Blog

I recently had the pleasure of attending a 4 day intensive workshop training session in “Somatic Experiencing”. This is the process that has evolved from the Trauma recovery work of Peter A. Levine, PhD.

The approach (as I understand it so far) puts our human response to trauma in a biological context.  Symptomatic responses to trauma are considered through the lens of an understanding of the anatomical nervous system and specifically the dorsal and ventral vagal systems.

The process works by resolving and releasing the energy of trauma gradually and not getting stuck in the memories or the narrative of the traumatic event(s).

Recently a study on mice has shown that traumatic events experienced by a parent mouse can be passed down to subsequent generations. The study found “these transgenerational effects are inherited via parental gametes” (Dias, Ressler, 2014).

It is interesting to note that the initial trauma takes place before the conception of the next generation and yet they are still influenced by the historical trauma.

What might this say about humanity, our family traumatic experience, the use of genograms, and much more? While more research is needed the results of this study indicate a potential for our behavior (anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more) to be influenced by the experiences of our parents and grandparents, long before we were born.

Reference
Nature Neuroscience 17, 89–96 (2014)
Brian G Dias   & Kerry J Ressler

“Ontarians with mental health and addiction disabilities have lower levels of education, lower income, are less likely to take part in the labour force and are less likely to live in adequate, affordable housing compared to people with other disabilities and people without disabilities.” (OHRC)

• Of all Ontarians who report a disability, almost one-third (30.9%) report a mental health or addiction disability.
• People aged 15-24 account for 9.3% of all Ontarians who report mental health and addiction disabilities, which is more than twice the proportion of people with other disabilities (3.5%)
• A higher proportion of Ontarians with mental health and addiction disabilities are separated or divorced (19.3%) than people with other disabilities overall (10.4%) and people without disabilities (7.1%). A smaller proportion of Ontarians with mental health or addiction disabilities are married or in a common-law relationship (45.6%) than people with other disabilities overall (60.6%) or people without disabilities (59.8%).
• Ontarians with mental health and addiction disabilities are more at risk of poverty than people without disabilities. A greater proportion (19.6%) are in low-income status compared to people with no disabilities (10.4%) and people with other disabilities (7.9%).

For the full report visit the Ontario Human Rights Commission website (OHRC)

This is a continuing initiative but a new face on their web page with some updated material and resources. Excellent material from the Canadian Mental Health Association of Ontario.

“In any given week, more than half a million Canadians will be absent from work because they’re struggling with their mental health.” (CMHA)

Employers, managers, supervisors

1. Look for Signs –Sudden behaviour changes, consistent late arrivals/absences, decreased productivity, making excuses for missed deadlines/poor work, and displays of anger/defensiveness may indicate a potential mental health issue.
2. Talk About It – Arrange to meet an employee to raise concern and offer help. Beforehand, find out what resources – such as Employee Assistance Programs or community services – may be available and have information handy when you meet.
3. Build Comfort – You want to minimize stress, not contribute to it. It’s important to talk about how the employee is valued before raising concern. Think about an individual’s strong points and contributions they’ve made. Be honest, upfront professional and caring in your approach.

Employees

4. Talk to your doctor –1 in 5 people will experience a mental health problem this year but only a third will seek help. Depression is treatable, and most people who receive the right supports recover fully.
5. Connect with a professional – Combining professional counselling with medical treatment is generally more effective than only doing one or the other. A psychologist, a psychotherapist, or a social worker has specialized training to help you learn new coping skills. Most EAP and benefit plans will provide access to these services.
6. Reach out to those you trust – Close personal connections are one of the most powerful healing and protective tools to combat depression. Tell a family member, friend, or co-worker exactly what you need. It may be simply to listen, provide encouragement when you’re down, or doing things together that you enjoy.
7. Live well – Exercise, sleep, and healthy eating are some of the first things to be compromised when experiencing depression. However, research shows that it works the opposite way too. Making conscious choices to lead a healthier lifestyle – especially when you don’t feel like it – can boost your mood.

For more practical tips, visit the newly relaunched Mental Health Works website.

Please refer to  (CMHA) for more details

“You Are Not Alone” 9 current and retired RCMP members speak openly about PTSD. This video was produced in the hopes of reaching new members who may not know the effects of PTSD, those who may be in the initial stages and do not understand what is happening to them or senior members who have been suffering in silence for years. This video is a message of hope to them so they will be able to step forward knowing they “Are Not Alone”.

Consider for a moment that addiction is not a result of what we have been told for years.

What if addictions are more complicated and yet more simple than we ever thought, what if addictions were a result of stress, trauma, negative environments, lost connection with loved ones, and a sense of separation from ourselves, the world, and our source.

Please take 15 minutes and have a look at this TED talk by Johann Hari

Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong


Julia Rucklidge talks about nutrition and its impact on mental health. She spoke at TEDxChristchurch (Newzeland) and published on Nov 10, 2014

Micronutrients and optimum nutrition is a viable and cost effective way to reduce, control and treat mental illness

Poor nutrition is a significant and controllable risk factor for the development of mental health issues.

Dr Rucklidge’s talk is only 17 minutes long but well work the time to listen to her message and decide for yourself if this information can have a positive effect on your life and the lives of your loved ones.

According to World Health Organization, many people with mental health concerns refrain from seeking treatment because of the stigma associated with it. The fact is that families from all walks of life are affected by mental health concerns, regardless of age, race, income, religion or education. Stigma is a barrier to awareness, prevention, diagnosis & care.

Most people know this intuitively but don’t want to accept or admit to their families, friends, or coworkers that they are having problems with something. Without help the consequences for the individual and society are staggering and result in unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted personal potential.

Addressing mental health issues may require you overcoming your reluctance to talk to others about a mental health concern. Treatment may include talking to a trained mental-health professional who can help understand strengths and challenges, resolve practical problems, and support healing.

Your mental health has a direct and measurable impact on your physical health and overall well-being.Knowing and learning more about yourself is the best investment you can make today. If knowledge is power, self-knowledge is the ultimate power.

Toxic Parents, It’s not about Blaming, It’s about Reclaiming

Does this mean that we expect that our parents should have been perfect in every way? Well, no. We are all human and we can all lose control and act out in hurtful ways from time to time. The problem occurs when children are subjected to chronic toxic parenting.

The chronic toxic parents can have a profoundly negative affect on the development of a child. Often the children take responsibility for the parents’ deficient behavior, and that is where part of the problem starts. As the child struggles to “fix” the problem they are painfully unaware that the problem is not theirs and they have no power to change/fix it. In an endless struggle to find love a child will take responsibility for the behavior of the toxic parent and that is often the genesis of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and troubled relationships.

Over time the child develops patterns of survival (although helpful at that time) that turn out to be very negative in adult (mature) relationships.

As a bare minimum parents must consistently provide …..

“1. They must provide for their children’s physical needs.

2. They must protect their children from physical harm.
3. They must provide for their children’s needs for love,attention, and affection.

4. They must protect their children from emotional harm.
5. They must provide moral and ethical guidelines for their children.”
   (Susan Forward, 2002)

Once we can look at what has happened and reassign the responsibility for toxic parenting back to the parents, then and only then, can we start to move forward with personal healing. Reclaiming personal power requires an understanding of what happened and how it changed your life.

Then you can take responsibility for your present moment and your future direction. Personal power comes from healing old wounds and turning them into your personal wisdom.

It would be funny, if it were not so painful,  the number of times someone said to me they  had a “normal” childhood with a loving family. Yes, it is true we learn our own version of “normal” and yes we all survived (because we are here now, looking at each other) but the legacy of the past continues to influence many lives in very insidious ways. The quote from Susan Forward’s book illustrates the minimum level of support a child should expect. Unfortunately, many children get a small subset of the list she describes.

“Children have the basic inalienable rights to be fed, clothed, sheltered, and protected. But along with these physical rights, they have the right to be nurtured emotionally, to have their feelings respected, and to be treated in ways that allow them to develop a sense of self-worth.

Children also have the right to be guided by appropriate parental limits on their behaviour, to make mistakes, and to be disciplined without being physically or emotionally abused.

Finally, children have the right to be children. The have the right to spend their early years being playful, spontaneous, and irresponsible.”

Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life (Susan Forward PhD, pg 30, 2002)