Empathy we all feel for others’ suffering can become an overwhelming trigger, especially during 2020 and 2021 with worldwide anxiety and distress over the pandemic and related lock downs is amplified in recent wildfire, heat-wave, and building-collapse crises. We have all had to track news to keep up with...
Beyond my favorite go-to site for mental wellness and self-care ideas (see above), you may find reviewing different types of trauma and disaster-stress and suggestions for coping and for resources helpful. Who has studied post-traumatic stress in first responders, troops, and secondary sufferers more than … the military and...
Communicating outward to fellow Catholics is becoming a critical element in facing the ongoing crisis of abuse and accusations in the Church – and in the world. What is to be done when go-to models for communication have been tainted by a history of complicity in “minimizing impact” on...
This brochure from the highly acclaimed Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) explains the signs and symptoms of retraumatization. In a one-page infographic, find guidance on how to manage the symptoms and how to build resilience and an adequate support system for dealing with triggering events. Source:...
Recovering from abuse is miraculous – and mysterious as the healing crosses so many dimensions of our personalities and our very personhood. Lourdes is a place associated with the miraculous. That’s why, still, over 6 million people visit the pilgrimmage site annually, and Lourdes boasts the most hotels in...
This SAMSA (U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) fact sheet offers tips for preventing and managing stress when dealing with the effects of trauma, mass violence, or terrorism. It lists tips for relieving stress and seeking professional help, and what it offers in a single one-page infographic...
When We Look Back in 20 Years’ Time, This Will Be a Turning Point is an article written by Ella Jones for The Psychologist (Nov 2019, Vol 32, Page 17) about a large-scale (British) government review of the withdrawal effects (and dependence issues) related to prescription drugs being dispensed...
Are you embarking on a journey toward more and better trauma-informed pastoral care? Here’s a great resource with ideas and approaches you may want to incorporate into what you do. There’s a free manual and a free app. There is also an online program and a channel with videos....
The Painted Brain is a worthy model as your parish, diocese or group looks at ways to support survivors of abuse and trauma. The Painted Brain creates lasting community-based solutions to mental health challenges and the impact of social injustice through arts, advocacy, and enterprise. It is a peer-support...
As children of immigrants, Laughlin minimized her racial background to fit into school and life, but her struggle with upheaval and a sense of trauma in her home country had many effects, including a fear of Jesus and a need for comfort only continuity with Korean ancestors could offer....
Adopting a stray dog is many things, including a self-healing for survivors of abuse. To be able to offer safety and affirmation to a timid and anxious creature has an astounding effect on the little beast — and one the hurt within us, too. Adopting a dog during the...
Everyone reacts to a disaster. It helps to have tips on how to tend to a person in the midst of this reaction – whether for a new wound or for an old wound reawakened – to help reduce long-term symptoms. This fact sheet from the American Red Cross...
