…ch harder for children to express themselves or get through these issues on their own. So how can you be attuned to your child’s fears and teach them to deal with their stress? Read “How to Help Your Stressed-Out Child” and learn the signs of and solutions to your child’s stress….
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…at it can lead to burnout at work and school. Burnout is marked by extreme stress, chronic fatigue and increasingly poor performance, which counters the idea that perfectionism will naturally result in more success. To me, this forces the question: is our pursuit of greatness leading to actual greatness? Whether we suffer from inflated or deflated self-esteem, are we able to live up to our own expectations and demands on ourselves? Growing up in a…
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…can leave a person with post-traumatic stress. Another factor involves the stress of multiple deployments. The more times a person is exposed to this trauma, the more hopeless he or she can begin to feel. While soldiers may be able to imagine “getting lucky” and surviving once or twice, they often feel a strong sense that the odds are against them by the time they’re deployed for the third time. This leaves them into a state of hyper-vigilance, a…
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…ple trauma might involve an individual incident of dramatic pain, fear, or stress, such as a car accident or an earthquake. Complex trauma is a condition caused by chronic, repeated, or cumulative instances of shock and/or distress. Examples of events that can cause complex trauma include child abuse or repeated deployments to warzones. As you can imagine, resolving complex trauma requires a more complex, integrated, and sequential approach to tre…
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…whelmed with the stress and anxiety of the future coming up. However, this stress has both physical and mental negative effects. According to Dr. Lisa Firestone, “Anxiety can be a serious psychological condition that limits us in our interactions, our development, and our general state of mind.” By giving in to stress and anxiety, you stop behaving your best. You start doubting yourself and become self-limiting. You give in to your critical inner…
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…illing our lives with responsibilities can generate a cycle in which being stressed feels like the norm. As a society, we are unapologetic about our stress levels, even wearing them like a badge of honor, proving our value. However, stress takes a serious toll on our mental and physical health. These effects often catch up with us and prevent us from enjoying our lives, not to mention that they affect how we relate to others, often leading to more…
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…ure. More than 13% of 17 year olds (1 in 8) have experienced posttraumatic stress disorder in their lives. The Partnership for Drug Free Kids points to a study that finds “a high rate of childhood trauma in adult alcoholic inpatients. The researchers suggest childhood trauma should be considered when developing prevention and treatment strategies for adults with alcoholism.” People don’t really become addicted “for fun.” Addictive behavior begins…
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…nse of belonging, etc…” Repeat steps 1-4 over whenever you feel worried or stressed Steps one through four spell the acronym SAFE. As you intentionally practice feeling SAFE, in time you will notice that you start to become less reactive to the worried mind, and more compassionate with yourself when worry arises. Your perspective will shift as you recognize that worrying is part of the human condition and that you are not alone with this experienc…
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…rminologies and what they look like. I’ve addressed complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), PTSD, and how CPTSD is different from PTSD. These specific terms have their place in describing deeper aspects of trauma. However, we also need a way to talk in general about injuries that disrupt healthy ways to regulate our thoughts and feelings. I use the words “trauma” and “trauma survivor” to encompass all types of trauma and include all of tho…
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…ns. While it’s normal to be cautious, not burying your head in the sand…”I stressed out, and that solved the problem!”…said no one ever. You can exercise emotional intelligence at this time by: Recognizing your risks: Are you immunocompromised? Have you been around people who are symptomatic? If you can answer, “No” to both of those questions, why not shift the energy to doing your normal due diligence (ex. washing your hands, cleaning your phone,…
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