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Photo credit: pixabay.com (The article below is based on an excerpt from my book, Crazy Was All I Ever Knew: The Impact of Maternal Mental Illness on Kid s. I have used a pseudonym to protect the privacy of family members.) My mother, who was mentally ill, never hugged me, never caressed me, never held me close. As a young child, I had no idea what I was missing. As an adult, I realized that hugs and kisses instill security and stability in kids, and pave the way for healthy emotional...

By Andrew Binet, Stanford Social Innovation Reveiw, Fall 2020 This year’s public health crises—the coronavirus pandemic and endemic police violence—have shone a harsh light on historical inequities in the United States, prompting calls for new ways to guarantee the health, safety, and well-being of all Americans. Historically, attention to public health has waxed and waned as crises strike and then abate. The result has been a patchwork of inadequate public health infrastructure, the...

For those of us who have sought treatment for the symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, here at CPTSD Foundation, know how difficult it is to find a therapist trained to treat us. In fact, in the United States, finding a therapist specifically for CPTSD is exceedingly arduous. This set of articles will explore the mental health disparities displayed in finding help for one of the nation’s most significant and fastest-growing mental health disorders. Attempting to Find Treatment...

New CDC report: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2019 Highlighting emerging issues in adolescent health behaviors Today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, “ Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 2019 ,” includes an MMWR Surveillance Supplement featuring several articles written by experts from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control using 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data on the following topic areas: interpersonal violence...

At the A Better Normal live Zoom community discussion event on Friday, August 14th, 2020, we delved for the first time into how music heals. I interviewed singer and songwriter Nick Larson, of band Próxima Parada , based in San Luis Obispo, California about his songwriting process to heal wounds, encourage healing, and inspire others to create transformational art. @Cissy White (ACEs Connection Staff) facilitated the discussion. "When I read your lyrics, you say things that resonate with...

Please join us for the ongoing community discussion of A Better Normal, our series in which we envision the future as trauma-informed. Friday, August 28th, 2020 12pm PT // 1pm MT // 2pm CT // 3pm ET Hosted by Alison Cebulla and facilitated by Jenna Quinn of ACEs Connection with guest Dr. Jamie Marich, author of the book Trauma and the 12 Steps: An Inclusive Guide to Enhancing Recovery , newly revised, expanded, and released on July 7, 2020, published by North Atlantic Books . >>Click...

One of the questions on the ACEs quiz is: Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic, or who used street drugs? Addiction is a major problem in the United States. In fact, about 10% of U.S. adults will deal with drug use disorder at some point. Meanwhile, nearly one-third of adults will meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder at some point in their lives. But, how exactly does early childhood exposure to alcoholism or drug use affects the individual and why is it...

Dr. Deborah Borne joins Matt in this episode to discuss the relationship between trauma and spiritual health. Learn how Dr. Borne integrates spiritual health into her medical practice with those experiencing addiction, homelessness, and living with HIV. www.traumainformedlens.org

By The Miami Times, August 19, 2020 One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Black adults are 20% more likely to experience mental health issues compared to the general population. “The factors that cause or exacerbate mental illness are often found in higher numbers among minorities,” said Dr. Rufus Spann, chief clinical officer with Henry Health, a culturally sensitive mental health organization. “Tackling this...

By Cathy Cassata, Healtline, August 19, 2020 Charles Daniels grew up in a household without his father. Throughout his childhood, he watched his mother struggle as a single parent while he grappled with understanding why his father was absent. “As I got older, I learned that my dad struggled with a variety of mental health issues, and I began to understand how difficult it must have been for him to navigate emotional issues and relationships without the appropriate support,” Daniels told...

By Karen De Sa and Nadra Nittle, The Imprint, August 18, 2020 Has your child ever lived with a parent or caregiver who went to jail or prison? Has your child’s parent or caregiver ever had depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or anxiety? Have caregivers struggled with too much alcohol, street drugs or prescription meds? Has any adult in the household ever hit your child so hard that it left marks? Has anyone had oral, anal or vaginal sex with your child? These are among 17 questions...

By Walker Bragman, Too Much Information, August 13, 2020 When the novel coronavirus first arrived in the United States, it spurred on remarkable message discipline among America’s political class. The consensus that emerged on both sides of the aisle dictated that no matter what happened, Americans ought to be glad they do not live in a country with socialized medicine. At the final Democratic presidential debate on March 15, former Vice President Biden pointed to COVID numbers in Italy as...