Why is it that 33% to 53% of HIV-infected people have histories of childhood sexual abuse? Many symptoms commonly found among survivors of childhood sexual abuse, such as helplessness, low self-esteem, dissociation, denial, and self-destructiveness are also often seen in conjunction with HIV risk behavior. Studies show that childhood sexual abuse is associated with avoidant […]
Working with Memory to Reframe a Traumatic Experience
A single moment can last forever in our memory . . . Now when it’s something special, a time or an event that we hold dear, reliving memories can feel almost as good to us as the actual moment did. But when someone’s memory keeps replaying a traumatic experience, that can cause them to relive […]
Is Chronic Worry Linked to Increased Likelihood of PTSD?
Is it possible that chronic worry may be linked to an increased likelihood of developing PTSD? I can remember my father telling me, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (The Bible was quoted often in […]
Treating Trauma in Children
Trauma’s victims are often among the most vulnerable in society . . . . . . especially when they include children. When trauma occurs at a young age, children can face biological effects that change the way their brains are developing. This includes parts of the brain that are critical for processing emotions like trust, […]
Trauma’s Impact on the Brain
When a traumatic event triggers our internal alarm system, the body goes into fight, flight, or freeze . . . . . . but what happens in the brain during trauma? According to Dan Siegel, MD, there are two key chemical reactions to trauma (and one can play a role in actually shrinking part of […]