If we want to help build a better world and a better life for our descendants, there is nothing more important than to provide a caring, nurturing, yet stimulating environment for our children from conception to adulthood. Possessions and affluence pale into insignificance by comparison with the need for a warm, peaceful, secure home with loving caregivers. Yet all too often, children are neglected or maltreated. In the words of Bruce Perry, millions of children in the USA are ‘literally incubated in terror.’ Many of these will grow up to be fearful, anxious and depressed. Others will become aggressive, violent and predatory. All of them will have their potential blighted. They will learn inappropriate ways of child rearing, and so pass on their dysfunctional patterns to their offspring.
Hope for the future lies in breaking this vicious cycle through conscious interventions. Research suggests that authoritarian policies that result in children being taken into care do not work. They do little to change the home situation, and child welfare workers become seen as police to be feared. Far more effective are approaches that provide integrated support and education to the caregiver, usually the mother. In this case, the welfare worker may become a trusted friend and advisor, who identifies problems the family faces and helps to find solutions. These may include issues such as accommodation, financial support, budgeting, an abusive relationship, physical and mental health, parenting training, and so on. The best of such programmes not only coordinate a range of local, state and national government services through a single local advisor, but also integrate them with local community groups and charities.
Sure Start is a successful programme established by the previous Labour government in the UK. It set up 3,500 centres in communities around the country, reaching out to hundreds of thousands of families and helping 2.7m children in need. In the words of columnist Polly Toynbee in The Guardian newspaper, these “life-enhancing places have become hubs for community activity: mothers creating a fount of local action.” Despite this success story, many of these centres and the services they provide are now at risk due to cutbacks in social services by the current Conservative-Liberal Democrat government, and a rising tide of need.
According to Toynbee, unemployment is leading to higher drug use, and more domestic violence, mental health crises and family breakdowns. The high profile media coverage given to the death of ‘Baby P’ resulted in a rise in children being referred to social services of over 25% last year with 17% more being put in care. “Add in the phenomenal, but largely unmentioned, cost of the rising number of profoundly mentally and physically disabled children … thanks to the heroic neonatal specialists in maternity units. Most of these extreme cases end up in care, costing hundreds of thousands in round-the-clock teams to look after them. Just a few can upend a children's services' budget.”
Faced with this financial crisis, the easiest things for agencies to cut are the long-term programmes which prevent more serious problems in the future. According to Toynbee, Sure Start centres “offer the earliest help to young children, identifying difficulties before it’s too late, a welcoming place to which families can turn. … (T)his is a heartbreaking destruction of a service that was starting to change children’s life chances.” What money remains is no longer ‘ringfenced’, so “early intervention to stop tomorrow’s crises is sucked away to cope with today’s emergencies … This is the way the social deficit grows, costing the next generation more … with a legacy of costly problems that could have been prevented with a little early spending …”
Wherever in the world we live, similar stories are probably being told. Let’s support local and national campaigns for effective child welfare programmes, thus bringing real Hope for Humanity in the long term.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
An Update on Lessons from the Floods
A few days ago, I wrote about the lessons Australia and the world can learn from the recent floods. Most of the points I made for a strategy to reduce trauma from future natural disasters were supported in a subsequent current affairs programme on ABC TV. Now, the dozens of charities concerned with mental health in Australia have spoken out.
Already there has been almost a 40% increase in demand for mental health services as people struggle to come to terms with what the flood has done to their lives. Amongst children, the increase is nearer 50%. Some victims are already talking about suicide as they face their seemingly hopeless financial situation. A huge crisis in housing is looming as short-term accommodation with friends and family becomes stressful, and ends. There simply are not enough houses available for rent in what was already a tight housing market.
Bob Gilkes, of the mental health charity Lifeline, is quoted as saying: "If we don't address some of the psychosocial issues that will exhibit in the community over the next few months, they will have lasting effects in our society for generations to come. ...
That could be much more expensive than what it would cost to address the issues now. ... If you have families that become dysfunctional because of stress, depression, anxiety, anger, you have families break up. You generally see much more dependence on the welfare system and that can go on generationally."
Similar issues arise wherever in the world there are natural disasters, wars, genocide, and other collective traumas. Few countries have the resources to address them adequately. There will never be enough highly-trained psychologists and counsellors to meet the needs in disaster zones. What is needed is a long-term programme to train large numbers of community members in the symptoms of trauma to watch for, and simple ways of preventing and healing it. More general community-building activies are also essential for increasing mutual support and the resilience to cope. In these ways, we can bring hope to the victims of disaster, and simultaneously reduce the destructive effects of trauma on families, communities and nations.
Already there has been almost a 40% increase in demand for mental health services as people struggle to come to terms with what the flood has done to their lives. Amongst children, the increase is nearer 50%. Some victims are already talking about suicide as they face their seemingly hopeless financial situation. A huge crisis in housing is looming as short-term accommodation with friends and family becomes stressful, and ends. There simply are not enough houses available for rent in what was already a tight housing market.
Bob Gilkes, of the mental health charity Lifeline, is quoted as saying: "If we don't address some of the psychosocial issues that will exhibit in the community over the next few months, they will have lasting effects in our society for generations to come. ...
That could be much more expensive than what it would cost to address the issues now. ... If you have families that become dysfunctional because of stress, depression, anxiety, anger, you have families break up. You generally see much more dependence on the welfare system and that can go on generationally."
Similar issues arise wherever in the world there are natural disasters, wars, genocide, and other collective traumas. Few countries have the resources to address them adequately. There will never be enough highly-trained psychologists and counsellors to meet the needs in disaster zones. What is needed is a long-term programme to train large numbers of community members in the symptoms of trauma to watch for, and simple ways of preventing and healing it. More general community-building activies are also essential for increasing mutual support and the resilience to cope. In these ways, we can bring hope to the victims of disaster, and simultaneously reduce the destructive effects of trauma on families, communities and nations.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Staying Home, Leaving Violence
Domestic violence is a huge issue in most countries. Australia is no exception. A report from the ABC tells the horrific stories of several women, and describes a new project in the state of New South Wales that is bringing them hope. "Staying Home, Leaving Violence" helps women and their children to stay safely in their homes rather than leave. Women's refuges are still seen as important, but those who go there risk becoming homeless. Workers on the project not only give advice and support, but also survey home security arrangements. New locks may be fitted to doors and windows, and a lockable safety room organised. And the woman may be given a new mobile/cell phone, or a personal alarm button connected to the local police station. So far, the project seems to be highly successful.
The program is available as an audio download, or text transcript.
The program is available as an audio download, or text transcript.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Lessons from the Floods
The last year has seen unprecedented flooding around the planet. Last July, the world watched in horror as Pakistan disappeared under a tide of brown water. And in just the last couple of months we have seen devastation in Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Sri Lanka. These floods have killed thousands, destroyed millions of homes, wiped out livelihoods and vital food crops, and disrupted transport networks, power supplies, and industries. Untold millions are at risk of psychological trauma as they face their losses and try to rebuild their lives. Many are grieving the death of loved-ones, and the loss of their precious homes, possessions, livelihoods and communities. Many more are facing horrific memories of scenes they witnessed as people and animals were swept away, or buried in mudslides.
When we are faced with a life-threatening situation, our bodies prepare for ‘flight or fight’. Non-essential functions, such as digestion, shut down and energy is diverted to the major muscles. When we take action, this energy is discharged. If we are unable to act for some reason, the energy may remain trapped in the body. If left unprocessed and unhealed, trauma results, with long-term consequences for the affected individuals and their families, friends and communities.
The experience may resurface in debilitating flashbacks and nightmares; result in unreasonable fears and phobias; lead to depression and anxiety disorders; encourage alcoholism and other addictions; produce inappropriate outbursts of anger and aggression; or lead to physical disorders such as muscular tensions and suppression of the immune system. Behaviours flowing from trauma can devastate relationships and family life, affecting the lives of grandchildren as well as children.
This leaves us with several questions. What can the victims do to process and heal these experiences before they become trapped as trauma? What can the community and government do to help them? How can those who do suffer trauma be helped to heal? What lessons can we learn from the Australian floods about handling such crises in the future?
In Australia, when people left their homes ahead of the flood they often went to refuges where they were looked after. This forced inactivity was stressful, leading to anxiety, frustration, and occasional anger. Their state of mind often improved when they were able to return to their wrecked homes because at least they could do something to start the cleanup. By contrast, in poorer and less well organized nations, those who flee the floods often end up as refugees, struggling for very survival, but helpless to do anything but wait.
With a few notable exceptions, the floods in Australia were mostly slow-moving and predicted accurately so that the residents of many towns were able to build temporary levees and otherwise protect their properties. Communities pulled together in this task, individuals often working round the clock to protect the homes and businesses of strangers. The resulting sense of support and caring helped many to face what was to come with less distress, even when the defences were overtopped.
In a similar way, an army of volunteers turned out to help clean up once the flood peak passed. Many home-owners were emotionally overwhelmed by this generosity - a feeling which sometimes helped them release their pent-up grief and loss. Similarly, many volunteers said they couldn’t just stand by and watch events on TV, but had to do something to help. This suggests that perhaps they, too, were releasing pent-up emotional energy and preventing potential trauma that might have arisen due to empathy with the victims.
This reaffirmation of the Aussie spirit of ‘mateship’ was truly heart-warming, and will do much to heal individuals and communities. It will also strengthen the sense of belonging, with far-reaching benefits for community life in the good times as well as the bad times ahead.
Australia, as a wealthy country, is also well-placed to provide counselling support to those affected - something that is often overlooked in the rush to provide food, water, shelter and other physical needs. This was recognised by the Australian campaigning organisation GetUp! which focused its fundraising appeal on providing trauma counselling for victims. It is not yet clear what psychological support the government will provide, but it is to be hoped that this will be a substantial component of its recovery strategy.
In Queensland, psychologists have warned teachers in the affected areas to watch out for children suffering mental distress. Dr Jane Shakespeare-Finch was quoted as saying "Some will be scared, some will be feeling anxious, some will be feeling a little bit unsure about what's happening next. … With children in particular in the long-term, trauma can manifest itself in the body. So, for example, there might be unexplained headaches or stomach aches or aching legs or a sense of being dizzy. … Things that look like they are physical but they are actually the body remembering trauma. … A sense of safety is vital for children now that the disaster is over. Knowing what will happen next is a really important thing. … What happened for a lot of children in this flood is that it took away their view of the world being a predictable place, and we need to re-establish that idea of predictability and safety.”
Despite these positive outcomes, the floods will leave many people with a legacy of trauma. The stoic spirit of the Aussie battler, who gets on with cleaning up and rebuilding, who turns his or her back on the past, is admirable in many ways, but can result in traumatic memories being buried. Such memories may include the dangers survived, the loss of family or friends, horrendous scenes of devastation, the loss of treasured possessions and family mementos, and a home which will never be the same again. In some cases, people may even lose their sense of identity which was closely attached to their homes and possessions, or businesses. These people need on-going understanding and support from family, friends and community if they are to come through, just as war veterans do when they return from the trauma of combat.
As climate change continues, we will see more catastrophic floods and more potential for trauma to wreak havoc in the lives of individuals, families and communities. Hope for the future in vulnerable areas lies in minimizing the risks, particularly to people, and providing essential support. Some elements of a flood strategy include:
• Improved flood forecasting and effective warning systems
• Development of survival strategies, including identification of and publicity about safe refuges
• Provision of well trained and equipped emergency services, based in local communities where appropriate
• Training of military personnel in disaster relief work
• Strengthening the bonds in local communities during the good times, so that they will pull together in adversity
• Encouraging people to express emotions such as loss, grief and fear. Rather than stoic endurance, they should be encouraged to allow their tears to flow and their bodies to shake as they release potentially traumatic experiences
• Increasing the number of people trained to identify trauma and facilitate its healing. These need not be psychologists, but can be ordinary, trusted members of local communities such as teachers and health workers.
When we are faced with a life-threatening situation, our bodies prepare for ‘flight or fight’. Non-essential functions, such as digestion, shut down and energy is diverted to the major muscles. When we take action, this energy is discharged. If we are unable to act for some reason, the energy may remain trapped in the body. If left unprocessed and unhealed, trauma results, with long-term consequences for the affected individuals and their families, friends and communities.
The experience may resurface in debilitating flashbacks and nightmares; result in unreasonable fears and phobias; lead to depression and anxiety disorders; encourage alcoholism and other addictions; produce inappropriate outbursts of anger and aggression; or lead to physical disorders such as muscular tensions and suppression of the immune system. Behaviours flowing from trauma can devastate relationships and family life, affecting the lives of grandchildren as well as children.
This leaves us with several questions. What can the victims do to process and heal these experiences before they become trapped as trauma? What can the community and government do to help them? How can those who do suffer trauma be helped to heal? What lessons can we learn from the Australian floods about handling such crises in the future?
In Australia, when people left their homes ahead of the flood they often went to refuges where they were looked after. This forced inactivity was stressful, leading to anxiety, frustration, and occasional anger. Their state of mind often improved when they were able to return to their wrecked homes because at least they could do something to start the cleanup. By contrast, in poorer and less well organized nations, those who flee the floods often end up as refugees, struggling for very survival, but helpless to do anything but wait.
With a few notable exceptions, the floods in Australia were mostly slow-moving and predicted accurately so that the residents of many towns were able to build temporary levees and otherwise protect their properties. Communities pulled together in this task, individuals often working round the clock to protect the homes and businesses of strangers. The resulting sense of support and caring helped many to face what was to come with less distress, even when the defences were overtopped.
In a similar way, an army of volunteers turned out to help clean up once the flood peak passed. Many home-owners were emotionally overwhelmed by this generosity - a feeling which sometimes helped them release their pent-up grief and loss. Similarly, many volunteers said they couldn’t just stand by and watch events on TV, but had to do something to help. This suggests that perhaps they, too, were releasing pent-up emotional energy and preventing potential trauma that might have arisen due to empathy with the victims.
This reaffirmation of the Aussie spirit of ‘mateship’ was truly heart-warming, and will do much to heal individuals and communities. It will also strengthen the sense of belonging, with far-reaching benefits for community life in the good times as well as the bad times ahead.
Australia, as a wealthy country, is also well-placed to provide counselling support to those affected - something that is often overlooked in the rush to provide food, water, shelter and other physical needs. This was recognised by the Australian campaigning organisation GetUp! which focused its fundraising appeal on providing trauma counselling for victims. It is not yet clear what psychological support the government will provide, but it is to be hoped that this will be a substantial component of its recovery strategy.
In Queensland, psychologists have warned teachers in the affected areas to watch out for children suffering mental distress. Dr Jane Shakespeare-Finch was quoted as saying "Some will be scared, some will be feeling anxious, some will be feeling a little bit unsure about what's happening next. … With children in particular in the long-term, trauma can manifest itself in the body. So, for example, there might be unexplained headaches or stomach aches or aching legs or a sense of being dizzy. … Things that look like they are physical but they are actually the body remembering trauma. … A sense of safety is vital for children now that the disaster is over. Knowing what will happen next is a really important thing. … What happened for a lot of children in this flood is that it took away their view of the world being a predictable place, and we need to re-establish that idea of predictability and safety.”
Despite these positive outcomes, the floods will leave many people with a legacy of trauma. The stoic spirit of the Aussie battler, who gets on with cleaning up and rebuilding, who turns his or her back on the past, is admirable in many ways, but can result in traumatic memories being buried. Such memories may include the dangers survived, the loss of family or friends, horrendous scenes of devastation, the loss of treasured possessions and family mementos, and a home which will never be the same again. In some cases, people may even lose their sense of identity which was closely attached to their homes and possessions, or businesses. These people need on-going understanding and support from family, friends and community if they are to come through, just as war veterans do when they return from the trauma of combat.
As climate change continues, we will see more catastrophic floods and more potential for trauma to wreak havoc in the lives of individuals, families and communities. Hope for the future in vulnerable areas lies in minimizing the risks, particularly to people, and providing essential support. Some elements of a flood strategy include:
• Improved flood forecasting and effective warning systems
• Development of survival strategies, including identification of and publicity about safe refuges
• Provision of well trained and equipped emergency services, based in local communities where appropriate
• Training of military personnel in disaster relief work
• Strengthening the bonds in local communities during the good times, so that they will pull together in adversity
• Encouraging people to express emotions such as loss, grief and fear. Rather than stoic endurance, they should be encouraged to allow their tears to flow and their bodies to shake as they release potentially traumatic experiences
• Increasing the number of people trained to identify trauma and facilitate its healing. These need not be psychologists, but can be ordinary, trusted members of local communities such as teachers and health workers.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Trauma can be transformed
Trauma is a two sided coin. One face is negative, dark, destructive. The other is positive, hopeful and transformative.
In most cases, trauma warps our personality, blights our health, stunts our development, and condemns us to living well below our potential. It brings aggression and violence into families, communities, nations, and the whole planet. And trauma begets trauma as victims become perpetrators, passing on their own trauma to their partners, children and communities. In this way, humanity has been trapped for several thousand years in a vicious cycle of violence and domination. In the words of Daryl Paulson and Stanley Krippner, the aftermath of trauma is often “anxiety that will not subside, depression that will not heal, or psychosomatic injuries that will not mend.”
But this is not the whole picture. Trauma can be the dark gateway through which we enter into a journey of personal and spiritual growth. As trauma therapist Peter Levine expressed it:
Trauma has the potential to be one of the most significant forces for psychological, social and spiritual awakening and evolution.
For most of us, transformation is a slow and arduous process requiring determined commitment, and the help of skilled therapists and spiritual teachers. But, for a surprising number, it comes unbidden as a sudden awakening following intense and prolonged turmoil in their lives. The trigger may be loss and grief when a loved-one dies. It may be a life-threatening illness, or an accident that leaves them severely disabled. It may be the crash of a business or the end of a promising career. But whatever the trigger, there comes a point at which the person lets go and accepts the loss at a deep level. At that moment, they experience a transformation of their ‘dark night of the soul’ into joy and bliss. And they awaken to a new meaning and purpose in life.
This transformative power of trauma is nowhere better documented than in Steve Taylor’s latest book “Out of the Darkness.” This forms a perfect complement to our book, “Hope for Humanity.” We focused primarily on the impact of trauma on the world and actions we might take to reduce it. We included only a relatively brief discussion of its potential for spontaneous transformation. Steve fills that gap by telling the stories of many people for whom life-shattering events became a blessing, and analyzing the factors that made them so.
In most cases, trauma warps our personality, blights our health, stunts our development, and condemns us to living well below our potential. It brings aggression and violence into families, communities, nations, and the whole planet. And trauma begets trauma as victims become perpetrators, passing on their own trauma to their partners, children and communities. In this way, humanity has been trapped for several thousand years in a vicious cycle of violence and domination. In the words of Daryl Paulson and Stanley Krippner, the aftermath of trauma is often “anxiety that will not subside, depression that will not heal, or psychosomatic injuries that will not mend.”
But this is not the whole picture. Trauma can be the dark gateway through which we enter into a journey of personal and spiritual growth. As trauma therapist Peter Levine expressed it:
Trauma has the potential to be one of the most significant forces for psychological, social and spiritual awakening and evolution.
For most of us, transformation is a slow and arduous process requiring determined commitment, and the help of skilled therapists and spiritual teachers. But, for a surprising number, it comes unbidden as a sudden awakening following intense and prolonged turmoil in their lives. The trigger may be loss and grief when a loved-one dies. It may be a life-threatening illness, or an accident that leaves them severely disabled. It may be the crash of a business or the end of a promising career. But whatever the trigger, there comes a point at which the person lets go and accepts the loss at a deep level. At that moment, they experience a transformation of their ‘dark night of the soul’ into joy and bliss. And they awaken to a new meaning and purpose in life.
This transformative power of trauma is nowhere better documented than in Steve Taylor’s latest book “Out of the Darkness.” This forms a perfect complement to our book, “Hope for Humanity.” We focused primarily on the impact of trauma on the world and actions we might take to reduce it. We included only a relatively brief discussion of its potential for spontaneous transformation. Steve fills that gap by telling the stories of many people for whom life-shattering events became a blessing, and analyzing the factors that made them so.
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