CJ 720 Trauma & Crisis Intervention Blog
Our Bodies Reactions to Childhood Trauma
By Krystle Ramdhanie December 12,2022
*Warning* May contain some triggering information*
A time in our lives when we are in our most innocent stage of our life, our childhood. Most people hear the word childhood and think of all the wonderful memories like riding their first bicycle, ice cream trucks, birthday parties, playing in the snow or a fond memory of an activity with a parent that replays in their minds when they see or smell something familiar. Then there are some of us who hear the word childhood and we completely have a blank thought, our stomachs began to twist a bit, or we start to feel nervous, anxious, or angry. This is because CDC research shows more than 60 percent of American adults have as children experienced at least one ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience), and almost a quarter of adults have experienced 3 or more ACEs, likely an underestimate. Childhood or early childhood trauma can occur in many different forms from physical or sexual abuse, witnessing a traumatic event, witnessing domestic violence, bullying, mental abuse, and sometimes situations like refugee trauma or natural disasters. As children we often are unable to fully process what is happening to us, especially in cases of physical, mental or sexual abuse we tend to blame our selves as children or convince ourselves that the person did not mean to do it to us. As we develop and grow into adults our brains block out these horrific event until we are reminded of them in some way as adults. How does this trauma affect our bodies, well our bodies and our brains are built to protect us from imminent danger, we call this the fight or flight response where our brains release stress hormones like epinephrine, cortisol and adrenaline in response to it. The effects of childhood trauma can last well into our adulthood and effect our health and lifestyles choices. There is a higher likelihood of developing chronic illnesses in adults because of the trauma they experienced as children, they are more likely to engage in high-risk activities, poor dieting and more likely to develop depression. "Exposure to trauma during childhood can dramatically increase people’s risk for 7 out of 10 of the leading causes of death in the U.S.—including high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer—and it’s crucial to address this public health crisis, according to Harvard Chan alumna Nadine Burke Harris, MPH ’02." Trauma puts so much strain on our bodies as we internalize the pain and events that happened to us as children. As this trauma is stored in our bodies it releases hormones at higher than normal levels that begin to impact our mental and physical health. Headaches, upset stomach, muscle tension, and fatigue are just a few of the other things that happen to our body as we store trauma in it. Research has proven that children who experienced severe trauma such as verbal, physical or emotional abuse or lived with drug or alcohol abusers were 50% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease later on in life than those who had low exposure to childhood trauma.
But why just blog about how trauma affects our bodies, while taking this course I began to face a lot of my own traumas. At the beginning of it I became very ill and was sick for weeks trying to recover but it just felt like my body would not bounce back from this illness. The more I read the more I realized that maybe because of the trauma I had experienced as a child and not properly facing it, I myself developed all these other physical health issues. Compromised immune system, hypertension, chronic migraines, sleeping disorder, eating disorder, heart palpitations and several autoimmune diseases, and depression are just some of the things I battle with daily. I grew up in Roxbury, an inner city town that people referred to as "the ghetto", young parents who barely knew what they were doing but trying to survive, I encountered my first trauma when I was just 4 years old. An older male cousin you molested me for 3 years until my parents moved to another part of Roxbury, and when I thought I had finally gotten away from the pain of that my father began using drugs and physically abusing me to punish my mom when she didn't give him money to support his habits. There were nights I would just pray to die and other night I would just forget about what happened, but after reading The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, I started remembering about nights when I would get beat and I would go to the bathroom and stick my fingers down my throat to vomit just so I would forget the pain from the belt. I realized that in fact these health issue were indeed a direct response to my trauma. Van Der Kolk says “As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself…The critical issue is allowing yourself to know what you know. That takes an enormous amount of courage.”. The more trauma we suppress the more danger we put our bodies through, our minds begin war with our bodies and lead to dangerous outcomes.
There are ways to prevent this from taking over your life and healing from the trauma. Therapy is at the top of the list, starting it as soon as possible is the best. Working through traumatic events with a therapist helps your body and brain understand and process the memories of your trauma. Practicing calming techniques or mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation or breathing exercises help with decreasing your anxiety and redirecting negative thoughts around your trauma. Establishing healthy lifestyles like introducing exercise routines, better sleeping habits, avoiding alcohol and drug consumptions also help your brain rewire giving you space to slowly process all you have been through. Working these into our lives help us find a way to make peace with the trauma we are at war with and helping our bodies recover to live longer and healthier lives.
“The essence of trauma is that it is overwhelming, unbelievable, and unbearable. Each patient demands that we suspend our sense of what is normal and accept that we are dealing with a dual reality: the reality of a relatively secure and predictable present that lives side by side with a ruinous, ever-present past.”
― The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/04/28/traumatic-childhood-increases-lifelong-risk-for-heart-disease-early-death
https://www.cdc.gov/washington/testimony/2019/t20190711.htm#:~:text=CDC%20research%20shows%20more%20than,likely%20an%20underestimate%5B5%5D%20.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/childhood-traumas-devastating-impact-on-health/#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20trauma%20during%20childhood,Burke%20Harris%2C%20MPH%20'02.
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/emotional-trauma-mind-body-connection
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
Genocide, Slavery, and the Traumatic effects on the African American Community
It can be extremely difficult, as a black person, to reflect back on the atrocities that have taken place such as slavery on African American people in our country. The outrageous monstrosity of what has occurred and has been afflicted on the African American race for many, many years imprinted trauma in a ways that can not be removed. There are ways my people and I have been traumatized by the memories and are still having to navigate through injustices that still happen systemically in our Justice system. Police shootings, mass incarceration and even unfair opportunities when it comes to employment.
That said, my community still has more to work to do. At times I feel that we fall in line with what has been norm to us and don't take a stand on the mistreatment that is handed to us. Like the Reserve Police Battalion 101, discussed in our course readings, I have realized that although genocide was happening via Holocaust, these soldiers ended up overlooking, because of the trauma endured, ordinary men became murderers.
Aryanne
Service Dogs Blog Post
For my blog post, I chose to further my previous post on the therapeutic approach of having a service dog to help address trauma. The therapeutic approach to addressing the impact of trauma that I originally chose was service dogs. The purpose of having a service dog for someone with trauma is to help aid them in times where the owner's symptoms prevent them from being able to do a task. For instance, some of the more basic services that these dogs can provide are, "to guide a disoriented handler, find a person or place, conduct a room search, signal for certain sounds, interrupt and redirect, assist with balance, bring help, bring medication in an emergency, clear an airway, and identify hallucinations" (Rousseau, 2022). Service dogs not only help people with PTSD, but can help people with all different types of disorders, whether from trauma or other similarly mentally altering experiences. They are also commonly used for people who are blind, for those who have seizures, and for those with severe anxiety, from what I have witnessed.
Some people prefer to have their service dogs where a vest, so that people do not try and pet or distract the dog from doing its task (servicing his/her owner). These vests tend to say things like "working dog", "do not pet", or "service animal", etc. in hopes that people will leave the animal be while it is actively working. It is crucial that service dogs stay completely focused on their task while they are "on duty". However, some people have used the term "service animal" lightly and as an excuse to be able to bring their dog(s) from home and into stores with them. This could especially be concerning if the fake service dog reacts to the real service animal, and in turn, distracts the service dog from staying focused.
Although service dogs are great for aiding people with trauma, they are in no way capable of completing relieving one of the symptoms that they experience. Unfortunately, none of the therapeutic approaches addressing trauma can guarantee to completely cure someone of their trauma, but they most certainly can help a great deal. Overall, these dogs focus on ways to support their person before, during, and after a trigger may occur. In some instances, a service dogs actions could be the difference between life or death for someone who cannot get the help for themselves. Service dogs are very effective for many people who have trauma, and they can make for a great therapeutic approach in addition to other forms of therapy.
As mentioned before, even for people that are not diagnosed with PTSD, but who have mental health related issues, service dogs can be great. Additionally, other types of animals can be just as therapeutic, as we are continuing to learn about the benefits of animals with mental health. I personally have met people who struggled with trauma or their mental health, and had a service animal other than a dog. Although the animal may not be able to do certain tasks that a dog could, not everyone has the same opportunities to own a dog. Therefore, other (smaller) animals are still helpful in providing that 24/7 comfort to someone who struggles with their mental health and may need in order to function throughout their day.
References:
Rousseau, D. (2022). Module 4: Pathways to Recovery: Understanding Approaches to Trauma Treatment. Blackboard
By: Cameron Kunkle
Workplace Violence in the Emergency Department
Workplace violence (WPV) in the emergency department is entirely too common. Emergency medicine has one of the highest rates of WPV each year (Hartnett & Jasani, n.d.). The movement against WPV in healthcare is geared toward resources for nurses, as they spend the majority of the time with a patient, but it is an important factor for techs, CNAs, doctors, and any healthcare staff present in the midst of an incident. I have worked in the emergency department for about seven or eight months now and I have seen and heard of at least five or six different incidents of WPV, one of them being my own experience. The types of WPV range from tight grips in which a patient refuses to let go (this was the matter in my case) to having bones in the face or hand broken to the point where someone's career is ended. During my orientation on the job, I was informed that the reason we have signs for some patients saying "see patient's nurse before entering room" is because a nurse was killed by a patient when she was not fully informed of the background of a patient.
This leads to primary trauma being prevalent on the job for healthcare workers as well as the already established secondary (vicarious) trauma that is frequently experienced by first responders in the field and in the emergency room. One of the first steps to resolving WPV as a whole is to know how often it is happening, who is perpetrating it, and who is being targeted. One of the main barriers to this is the fact that staff often do not know what acts constitute violence (Stene, Larson, Levy, & Dohlman, 2015). I was surprised that my incident had to be reported as WPV. It was scary, of course, because the guy was like 6'5", 200-something pounds, psychotic, and wouldn't let go of my wrist that he was holding incredibly tightly, but it didn't seem like a particularly violent act (though my wrist was and still is sprained). It wasn't until I had to document the report (because security had to be called) that I was told by a senior nurse that the proper documentation would be listed under WPV.
Most healthcare workers in the emergency room report that they feel that violence is an expected part of their job as a part of the emergency department (Hartnett & Jasani, n.d.) I think that part of this is due to the fact that many times, even when not necessarily indicated, police will bring in patients who are a risk for violence. Then when we try and press charges because we've been assaulted, the police will often want to leave that patient at the hospital because they don't have the resources to deal with them or believe they still have to be treated, even when the doctors have cleared the patient. This also leads to a large number of healthcare workers not pressing charges against those who perpetrate WPV. Even when our employers back us up, this lack of support from the other emergency services that exist for purposes such as responding to WPV leads to a sense of learned helplessness. Asking for help feels like it won't do that much, so people don't ask for help. We just expect this to be a part of the job.
This expectation, primary trauma, and secondary trauma are all significant factors leading to professional burnout and stress disorder symptomology (not to mention the actual physical trauma that often accompanies WPV).
References
Hartnett, E., Jasani, G. (n.d.) Emergency Medicine on the Frontline: Workplace Violence in the Healthcare Setting. AAEM and Student Association. Retrieved from https://www.aaemrsa.org/advocacy/resources/workplace-violence
Stene, J., Larson, E., Levy, M, & Dohlman, M. (2015). Workplace violence in the emergency department:
Giving staff the tools and support to report. The Permanente Journal, 19(2), 113-117. doi: 10.7812/TPP/14-187
SGB Treatment for PTSD
Upon his return to civilian life after having served in Afghanistan and Iraq, Army Sergeant Sean Messett struggled with PTSD. Having tried therapy and medication management with no relief, Sergeant Messett heard another veteran speak on a podcast regarding an injection, or stellate ganglion block (SBG), that he had just received himself. With the help of Hanover's For the Love of a Veteran Inc., Sergeant Messett received this injection, and it has changed his life.
SGB treatment consists of a localized injection of insulin into the individual’s stellate ganglion nerves, which are part of the sympathetic nervous system. This consists of a bundle of nerves that are directly connected to the sympathetic nerve, which triggers the body’s reaction to situations of stress or danger. This in turn causes the amygdala to release hormones that produce the fight or flight response. In the case of an individual whose amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex within the frontal lobe have been dramatically changed by trauma, this person can exhibit extremely emotional, angry, fearful or violent responses and/or reactions. The insulin injection serves to reprogram or restart one’s system, working to return it to normal functioning, pre-trauma.
Studies have shown that success rates range from 80-90%, results are immediate and can last from months to years dependent upon the patient’s needs and response to the injection. While SGB is not a cure, it greatly assists with talk therapy, as it allows patients to be able to think clearer and slow down their mind which was previously always on high alert. Individuals report being able to rest, decrease anger, stress and anxiety, and to reconnect with loved ones.
Quincy Kasper is another veteran who has benefited from the SGB injection. As an advocate for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he states: ““The only way we’re going to be able to continue to help people and continue to move forward with this is to be talking about it. Because, again, mental health has such a stigma.” (Kasper, Q., 2022). With the overall successfulness of SGB treatment, perhaps more individuals will feel less stigmatized and feel more comfortable in seeking the help they may need.
References:
Escalante, A. (2021). Helping PTSD With A Shot: The New Treatments That Are Changing Lives. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisonescalante/2021/02/02/curing-ptsd-with-a-shot-the-new-treatments-that-are-changing-lives/?sh=55ff1ed06912
Mediak, G. (2022). Injection helping veterans manage PTSD symptoms. Fox43. Retrierved from: https://www.fox43.com/article/features/sbg-insulin-injection-veterans-ptsd-stellate-ganglion-block/521-49967b48-9e4c-42a1-a2ff-2bdfbed02b46
Rousseau, D. (2022). Neurobiology of Trauma. Module 3. Boston University Metropolitan College.
SGB for Vets (2022). Treatment for PTSD. Retrieved from: https://www.sgbforvets.com
Sutherland, D. (2022). Veteran gets effective PTSD relief through injections. 7WSAW-TV. Retrieved from: https://www.wsaw.com/2022/11/19/veteran-gets-effective-ptsd-relief-through-injections/
Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York, NY: Viking.
Trauma’s Effect On the Brain
Trauma impacts an individual’s body physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether someone has experienced abuse, war, accidents, natural disasters, any violence, etc., the body creates imprints of these memories on the brain and body causing major changes. While these changes and reactions are detrimental to someone’s health, there are ways to heal from traumas and help individuals keep living their lives. Due to the impact on the brain and body, a person’s life can be flipped around without much understanding of why. Sometimes, the hardest element to consider for someone affected by trauma is understanding the neurological aspect of what has happened to them, what it means in terms of their lives, why it affects them the way it does, and how healing is possible with these unchanging effects.
Before turning to criminal justice, I began as a psychology undergrad. In this time, a main component we learned of was the “3-part brain” or the Triune Brain model (also mentioned in Rousseau’s Module 3). In this model, it is said that there are three parts that make up the brain: the brain stem (reptilian), the limbic/midbrain (mammalian), and the cortex/forebrain (neommalian). The Reptilian is responsible for survival instincts and automatic body functions, the mammalian is responsible for emotions and sensory input, and the neommalian is responsible for decision-making, learning, and memory. All three components are impacted during a traumatic experience, some more than others. The reptilian brain (survival instinct) takes over during a trauma triggering fight or flight and turning off all non-essential bodily functions. Typically, after a traumatic experience has ended, the body is able to switch back to homeostasis- reducing the fight or flight hormones and returning the non-essential bodily functions. For those individuals who end up developing PTSD, however, this switch back to homeostasis never happens. The reptilian brain never returns function to the rest of the other brain areas, leaving them in a continuous state of reactive mode. This reactive mode leaves individuals with symptoms that they don’t understand (PTSD symptoms like mood swings, being easily startled/triggered, having undesirable memories, etc.). This leaves people feeling a loss of control over their own thoughts, decisions, and functions.
The brain itself goes through a biological change after trauma. Several things happen that wouldn’t happen to a brain that has not experienced trauma. A major piece of the brain (and my personal favorite to talk about) is the amygdala. This small formation located close to the center of the brain is responsible for processing threatening stimuli and activating the appropriate response. It also connects emotions to certain memories. In a traumatic situation, the amygdala becomes overstimulated and starts processing everything as a threat. Another crucial piece of the brain is the hippocampus. This part of the brain oversees learning and memory. To create memories, the hippocampus must make synaptic connections (between neurons, as noted in Rousseau’s Module 3) letting the body know that something is in the past and not happening currently- a memory. When the hormones from the fight or flight response are flooding through the body, they kill the cells that carry out these synaptic connections, making it challenging to let the body know that a traumatic event is over and in the past. This leaves the body in a continuous state of reactive mode. Lastly, the SNS (or sympathetic nervous system) manages that fight or flight mode; it releases epinephrine (adrenaline) into the bloodstream. With everything happening with the amygdala and the hippocampus, the SNS is constantly elevated and stressed unable to regulate or pass off to the parasympathetic nervous system, which would restore the body back to normal function and keep it from overworking. The combination of the three function dysregulations alters someone’s mind and body.
These changes, if left untreated can be detrimental. Thankfully, with what we know today about healing and PTSD, we know that healing is possible. All three brain areas can be restored to normal function, reducing the effects of trauma and sometimes eradicating PTSD symptoms fully. Individuals’ healing processes are all different and need to be treated as such in order to help create change.
References
Smith, I. (2021, September 22). How does trauma affect the brain? - and what it means for you. Whole Wellness Therapy. Retrieved December 2022, from https://www.wholewellnesstherapy.com/post/trauma-and-the-brain
Rousseau, D. (2022). Module 1: Introduction to Trauma. Boston University.
Rousseau, D. (2022). Module 2: Childhood Trauma. Boston University.
Rousseau, D. (2022). Module 3: Neurobiology of Trauma. Boston University.
Rousseau, D. (2022). Module 4: Pathways to Recovery: Understanding Approaches to Trauma Treatment. Boston University.
The Neurobiology of Trauma. The Science Behind Trauma.
It is important to understand the neurobiology of trauma because it is important for people to understand how their brain effects their body. The University of Northern Colorado states that "the neurobiology of trauma--essentially the effects of trauma on the brain--is important to understand because it helps break down common misconceptions and victim-blaming about gender-based violence and it helps survivors to understand their experience and the aftermath in a new way" (University of Northern Colorado, 2022). Understanding the various ways in which trauma impacts the body allows people to victims to fully grasp their trauma, and can help guide them on their path of healing. Also understanding the ways in which the mind and body are connected may allow the victim to fully understand and comprehend their trauma. It allows them to understand why they may have acted/or not reacted the way they did in a situation. A substantial part of someone's trauma may stem from the way they acted during the traumatic event. Often times people can become so locked into what they did or did not during that time. By understanding the neurobiology of trauma it can be a huge stepping stone in the healing process for a trauma victim. "Decades of research into the neurobiology of trauma tells us that there are three responses humans (and many mammals) have to terrifying situations: fight, flight, AND freeze" (University of Northern Colorado, 2022). Copious amounts of research in Neurobiology has lead to the progression of trauma treatment and has had a significant impact on the field of psychology and the way that professionals conduct treatment.
Neurobiology plays a powerful role in ameliorating the impact of trauma. Understanding the neurobiology of trauma debunks and breaks down the myths from the facts in terms of trauma. It dismantles the common misconceptions that are often associated with trauma. It also breaks down stigmas that are often associated with individuals that suffer from trauma. Far too often stigma, rudeness and meanness from others is due to a lack of understanding. By teaching professionals working the world about the neurobiology behind trauma, as well as people out in the world, we might be able to dismantle myths and stigmatization surround trauma. Overall, understanding the various ways in which the mind effects the body is key in trauma treatment.
Sources:
University of Northern Colorado. (2022). Neurobiology of trauma. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2022.
University of Northern Colorado. (2022). Neurbiology of trauma: Dismantling common misconceptions and victim blaming statements about sexual violence. Retrieved Nov 16, 2022.
https://www.unco.edu/assault-survivors-advocacy-program/pdf/neurobio_trauma.pdf
A Private War: Why PTSD Is Still Overlooked
Why PTSD is still overlooked: I came across a very interesting article in the New York Times that was published by Dani Blum, but was information from Van der Kolk and other very prominent researchers and experts. I wanted to address one of the comments by one of the expert that mention: "Some experts say this pervasiveness has diluted the meaning of PTSD. The disorder stems from severe trauma, said John Tully, a clinical associate professor in forensic psychiatry at the University of Nottingham in England. “We’re talking life-threatening or close,” he said. The term loses its meaning when people apply it too broadly, he said — and PTSD means more than wrestling with the aftermath of an upsetting event." This comment struck me because in the beginning of the article it mentions that 70 percent of adults in the United States experience one traumatic event and about only 6 percent will develop PTSD the bulk being women. I feel a lot of PTSD in women can stem from childbirth as mentioned a women was diagnosed with PTSD after she delivered a stillborn baby, she expressed after leaving the hospital forgetting how to even get home and feeling like she had arrived from mars. I feel that not only is PTSD being overlooked but it is also being overlooked in women who have given birth. The rewarding opportunity to bring life into the world is such an honor as a mom but in that same sentence can be so difficult especially for new moms. An article from the The Atlantic expressed the misdiagnosis of postpartum depression with postpartum PTSD which differ in the since that postpartum depression is commonly associated with sadness, trouble concentrating, and having a hard time finding happiness in activities versus postpartum PTSD is associated with flashback and intrusive memories. For mothers this traumatic experience can come before or during pregnancy and can be associated with severe morning sickness, bad reactions to fertility etc or when your baby has medical problems during labor.
Based on these articles and how much postpartum PTSD, I know of mothers who experienced things that these exact women experienced during giving birth and how it has had such a long term effect on them. At the time I did not consider their symptoms to be associated with PTSD but I know how it made them feel, even looking at some women who can't produce milk for their children through their whole pregnancy and it makes them feel like a failure of a mother and as if they aren't able to provide for their child. For some women this is such a traumatic event, especially as a mom. Which makes some women afraid to have more children because of some of the complication they experienced with their first kid.
Overall, my purpose of this article was to just to shed light on how PTSD is being overlooked in many different aspects. And so many people go without getting help because you have experts that make comments like the one above not wanting to dilute the word PTSD and neglecting the many that suffer. What may not be considered a life-threatening traumatic event to some" can seem like the end of the world to many.
References:
Blum, D. (2022, April 4). A private war: Why PTSD is still overlooked. The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/well/mind/ptsd-trauma-symptoms.html
Strauss, I. E. (2015, October 2). The mothers who can't escape the trauma of childbirth. The Atlantic. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/the-mothers-who-cant-escape-the-trauma-of-childbirth/408589/
Indigenous Generational Trauma
The concept of trauma and its aftereffects have long been little understood. People deal with traumatic situations differently and what may not affect some can scar others for life. Its complexities are still not entirely understood and the aftereffects of trauma, even less so. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disorders that develop as a result of experiencing a traumatic event are at the forefront of this class. I chose to delve into the effects of intergenerational trauma in individuals. Specifically, looking into the effects of intergenerational trauma on indigenous groups piqued my interests. My mother is Ecuadorian and natively indigenous to that country, so many of the experiences of Canadian Native Americans and are similar to hers and that of her family. Trauma, in this context, is not an isolated event or incident. Rather, it spans decades and even centuries starting with distant ancestors and accumulating to the experiences of the individual today. It’s a tragic inheritance and the cyclical nature of it means that generational trauma is one of the most devastating results of racism and colonialism present today.
In class, we learned about genocide and the devastating effects on individuals who have lived through genocides of their people, along with the effects that this is bound to have in their lives after survival. The Holocaust was a recent infamous example of this and the way it has shaped the Jewish population throughout the world is profound. Another form of genocide that has more recently been accepted is cultural genocide, which, according to the European University Institute, is “the systematic destruction of traditions, values, language, and other elements that make one group of people distinct from another” (Novic, 1970). Indigenous peoples across the world, and specifically in the Americas, have experienced both traditional genocide and cultural for centuries. Across generations, they have had to deal with the attempted erasure of their very selves, their culture, their traditions and what makes them a distinct race. The very fabric of their generational beings has been threatened and abused. Native Americans deal with psychological issues, including “depression, substance abuse, collective trauma exposure, interpersonal losses and unresolved grief and related problems within the lifespans and across generations, along with having higher health disparities than any other racial group in the United States (Brave Heart et. al, 2011, pg. 282). Substance abuse and suicide rates are also significantly higher among indigenous populations than any other, with the suicide rates being a shocking 50% higher than the national average (Brave Heart et. al, 2011, pg. 283). The effects of generational trauma, including forced assimilation and genocide, are more devastating and pertinent for this ethnic group than perhaps any others in the Americas.
(Image of Indigenous people from Bolivia https://southamericamission.org/donate/ministries/indigenous-rural-outreach/)
I think the profound trauma inflicted on indigenous groups is something that needs to get far more mainstream attention than I feel it does. Indigenous peoples are such a high-risk group that more programs and the like need to be directed toward them. They carry the weight of ancestors’ traumas that cannot truly be put into words. The burden must be astronomical, and the horrifying part is that it’s not over. This isn’t simply past trauma that they must cope with, but ongoing. Ideally, I would like to see more scholarly work done on the topic in the future and particularly, on South American indigenous populations. Throughout my preliminary search on the topic, it quickly became clear that there is far less material available and beneficial infrastructure for South American indigenous population as compared to their North American counterparts.
References:
Brave Heart, M. Y., Chase, J., Elkins, J., & Altschul, D. B. (2011). Historical trauma among indigenous peoples of the americas: Concepts, research, and clinical considerations. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 43(4), 282–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2011.628913
Novic, E. (1970, January 1). The concept of cultural genocide : An international law perspective. Cadmus Home. https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/43864
Erasing the mental health stigma for law enforcement
Therapy is often seen as taboo, especially in certain job fields. Police officers are perhaps one of the most important groups that should be seeking support, but the stigma surrounding therapy stops them. Many departments, however, are trying to defeat this stigma. In Washington D.C., a grant of $7 million dollars was created. The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act would be used for access to better mental health care for law enforcement (Justice Department Announces Funding to Promote Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness, 2021). The funding would allow training, demonstration projects, new practices related to peer mentoring, mental health, wellness, and sucicide prevention programs (2021).
This isn’t the first act, and it definitely won’t be the last act, that aims to provide mental health resources to law enforcement. The more acts/grants that are created, the more the stigma around mental health will be erased for this field and others. Law enforcement professionals have hard jobs. They handle danger, pressure, and the responsibility of protecting the public. This alone creates a lot of stress on them. The global pandemic had only increased the amount of stress and worry on officers, nurses, etc. Now more than ever, we as a society should be focused on promoting mental health, not stigmatizing it in a negative way. Seeking therapy should be no different than going to the doctor for an illness. We need to be mentally healthy just as much as we do physically, especially when carrying out a job like police officers do.
Sources:
Justice Department Announces Funding to Promote Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness (2021, October 14). In Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-funding-promote-law-enforcement-mental-health-and-wellness