Hope for the future lies in reducing the impact of trauma on society. Te best way to do that in the long term is to reduce the number of traumatised children. This can be done either by cutting their exposure to potentially traumatic experiences, or by increasing their resilience to cope with such events. Both are aided by good parenting in a stable, loving family environment. Sadly, many families are under pressure and children suffer from the stresses of poverty, neglect and maltreatment, or have parents with poor parenting skills or mental health problems. What can society do to help?
There are several issues here. Parenting skills are seldom taught in schools, and training is not required for this most important of jobs. The majority of us were brought up in much the same way that our parents were raised, and go on to raise our own children this way too, regardless of whether or not it is good. This ignorance is compounded by the stresses of modern life and increasing mental ill-health.
Modern urban societies have fragmented the extended family, and emphasise the privacy of the individual and nuclear family. This often leads to isolation, and resentment of official intervention, particularly where the authorities have the power to remove children to foster homes. As a result, government support programmes may be resisted and treated with suspicion. Such programmes also are frequently split amongst various problem areas such as financial assistance, housing, employment, and child welfare.
These issues and solutions to them are discussed further in our book Hope for Humanity. The most effective programmes integrate assistance with finance, housing, employment, mental and physical health, parenting, child welfare and other challenges. At best, a home visitor seeks to become a friend and mentor of the family, and draws upon resources of government, local charities and community organisations. To succeed, it is vital that this support person not become associated with regulatory and policing functions.
This approach is exemplified by the UK charity Family Action. Working with tens of thousands of disadvantaged and socially isolated children and families, they provide practical, emotional, financial and educational support. They tackle some of the most complex and difficult issues facing families, including domestic abuse, mental health, learning disabilities and severe financial hardship. By working with the whole family, they help them become safer, stronger and more optimistic about their future.
A particular focus of Family Action is parents with mental health problems as reflected in a recent blog by their head of policy and campaigns, Rhian Beynon. Children in such families are at increased risk of poverty and being taken into care, and are twice as likely as others to experience a psychiatric disorder. Thus, caring for children’s mental health starts with integrated support for their parents. Family Action works with parents in their homes to create a lifestyle that stabilises their condition. This often includes assistance to find suitable accommodation and claim social security benefits to which they are entitled. It may also include working with the parents to improve their relationship with their children, support their learning, and set boundaries and routines for them. Parents are encouraged to get involved in their communities, and to start training, find work, or become a volunteer.
Unfortunately, such services are often seen as too expensive, particularly in this era of savage cost-cutting by the UK government. This leaves the families struggling without support, at the mercy of an unsympathetic and inadequate welfare system. Family Action cites the cost of support services as £4000 (US$6500) per family. This may sound a lot, but what is the cost of the alternative - lifetime care for more people with mental health problems, and more violence, crime, addiction and other behavioural consequences of trauma?
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 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.
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, December 29, 2010
Trauma affects us all
Do you ever wonder why the planet is wracked by so many crises? Do you ever wonder why humanity seems unable to meet the challenges of creating peace, protecting the living systems that support us, and ending poverty? We believe a root cause is trauma. Trauma warps our personality, blights our health, stunts our development, and condemns us to living well below our potential.
Most of us think of trauma as something that happens to other people as a result of childhood abuse, war, famine, accidents, or sickness. But trauma is universal. Few, if any, of us are unaffected by it. At every stage of life, from conception to death, we are exposed to potentially traumatic experiences. Your mother may have smoked or taken drugs, been malnourished or stressed during pregnancy. You may have had a difficult and painful birth, or put in a hospital nursery away from your mother.
As an infant, your distressed crying may have been ignored, or you may have been treated roughly and angrily rather than with gentle love. In childhood, you may have been harshly punished for bad behaviour, or sexually, emotionally or physically abused. At some stage of life, you may have lived in a war zone, in constant fear of injury or death. Or you may have been a refugee from conflict, famine or a natural disaster. You may have had cancer or another life-threatening illness. And so the list goes on.
Not only are we all exposed to potentially traumatic experiences, but also we inherit trauma from our parents and grandparents. Partly, trauma is transmitted by social learning and education. But the new field of epigenetics is rapidly revealing how it is also transmitted genetically. Traumas suffered by your parents did not change their genes, but they did affect which genes are active - which are switched on, and which are switched off. And those patterns of gene expression will have been passed to you.
This effect even extends to your grandparents. The egg and sperm that became you were formed when your mother and father were tiny embryos in your grandmothers’ wombs, and were affected by their life experiences at that time. This effect has been recognised in practice by the Australian Government which offers some free therapy to the grandchildren of war veterans.
Trauma has been linked to many life issues. In severe cases, it can lead to debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also implicated in most mental illnesses from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia. It may lead to angry, aggressive and violent behaviours. It is a factor in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. It is linked to heart disease, cancer, immune system dysfunction, chronic fatigue and other major illnesses. It also is associated with migraine, lower back pain and other psychosomatic conditions.
Many of us think of trauma as affecting individuals, but it also impacts on families, communities and whole societies. In the family context, emotional and behavioural effects of trauma can lead parents to abuse their children or each other. At the community level, traditional beliefs, ways of life and social norms may be shattered by war, famine, earthquakes, hurricanes, industrial development and other disasters. Afterwards, it can take generations to recreate community from anarchic chaos. Just imagine the difficulty of rebuilding trust and social relationships after years of civil war and genocide.
Once we recognise the prevalence and impacts of trauma, we can take action to change the situation. In our book “Hope for Humanity: How understanding and healing trauma could solve the planetary crisis”, we document the nature, history, prevalence, mechanisms and impacts of trauma in more detail. We then go on to develop strategies for healing the huge numbers suffering from past trauma, and for reducing the creation of new trauma. We also provide general guidance on choosing a healing modality and therapist.
Perhaps the most important step is for each one of us to recognise and accept that we are probably personally affected, and to start our own inner journey of healing despite our natural resistance to facing the hidden pain. Spiritual approaches such as meditation work in some cases, but often need the support of skilled therapists to enable us to break through the terror, or to open our awareness of memories that we have locked away in secret vaults. Similarly, therapy often needs the support of spiritual practices to achieve long-term personal transformation.
For there to be real Hope for Humanity, it is vital that we each embark on our own healing journey.
Buy HfH in US Buy HfH in UK
Most of us think of trauma as something that happens to other people as a result of childhood abuse, war, famine, accidents, or sickness. But trauma is universal. Few, if any, of us are unaffected by it. At every stage of life, from conception to death, we are exposed to potentially traumatic experiences. Your mother may have smoked or taken drugs, been malnourished or stressed during pregnancy. You may have had a difficult and painful birth, or put in a hospital nursery away from your mother.
As an infant, your distressed crying may have been ignored, or you may have been treated roughly and angrily rather than with gentle love. In childhood, you may have been harshly punished for bad behaviour, or sexually, emotionally or physically abused. At some stage of life, you may have lived in a war zone, in constant fear of injury or death. Or you may have been a refugee from conflict, famine or a natural disaster. You may have had cancer or another life-threatening illness. And so the list goes on.
Not only are we all exposed to potentially traumatic experiences, but also we inherit trauma from our parents and grandparents. Partly, trauma is transmitted by social learning and education. But the new field of epigenetics is rapidly revealing how it is also transmitted genetically. Traumas suffered by your parents did not change their genes, but they did affect which genes are active - which are switched on, and which are switched off. And those patterns of gene expression will have been passed to you.
This effect even extends to your grandparents. The egg and sperm that became you were formed when your mother and father were tiny embryos in your grandmothers’ wombs, and were affected by their life experiences at that time. This effect has been recognised in practice by the Australian Government which offers some free therapy to the grandchildren of war veterans.
Trauma has been linked to many life issues. In severe cases, it can lead to debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also implicated in most mental illnesses from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia. It may lead to angry, aggressive and violent behaviours. It is a factor in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. It is linked to heart disease, cancer, immune system dysfunction, chronic fatigue and other major illnesses. It also is associated with migraine, lower back pain and other psychosomatic conditions.
Many of us think of trauma as affecting individuals, but it also impacts on families, communities and whole societies. In the family context, emotional and behavioural effects of trauma can lead parents to abuse their children or each other. At the community level, traditional beliefs, ways of life and social norms may be shattered by war, famine, earthquakes, hurricanes, industrial development and other disasters. Afterwards, it can take generations to recreate community from anarchic chaos. Just imagine the difficulty of rebuilding trust and social relationships after years of civil war and genocide.
Once we recognise the prevalence and impacts of trauma, we can take action to change the situation. In our book “Hope for Humanity: How understanding and healing trauma could solve the planetary crisis”, we document the nature, history, prevalence, mechanisms and impacts of trauma in more detail. We then go on to develop strategies for healing the huge numbers suffering from past trauma, and for reducing the creation of new trauma. We also provide general guidance on choosing a healing modality and therapist.
Perhaps the most important step is for each one of us to recognise and accept that we are probably personally affected, and to start our own inner journey of healing despite our natural resistance to facing the hidden pain. Spiritual approaches such as meditation work in some cases, but often need the support of skilled therapists to enable us to break through the terror, or to open our awareness of memories that we have locked away in secret vaults. Similarly, therapy often needs the support of spiritual practices to achieve long-term personal transformation.
For there to be real Hope for Humanity, it is vital that we each embark on our own healing journey.
Buy HfH in US Buy HfH in UK
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