Childhood Disrupted

Join in conversations inspired by Donna Jackson Nakazawa's book, Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal. We'll chat about the latest research on how ACEs can affect our health, happiness, and relationships; vent a little; and brainstorm our best ideas for resiliency and healing.

My place in ACEs?

Janie Lancaster 10/17/1511:21 AM

Hello My name is Janie Lancaster and I live in Riverside County. I am trying to find my place in the ACEs community. I am a survivor or cumulative childhood traumas who has spent twelve years doing research on Complex Post Traumatic Stress. On the road to healing I pondered how I was able to survive and at times even thrive in the midst of all the pain and confusion. Along the way to recovery I wrote stories, books, articles and curriculum for kids like me. I also put together things that I learned to help teacher's to help kids through their trauma.

I know how these kids feel, think and see the outside world. It is my heart's desire to help troubled teens, elementary kids and support their teachers as well as counselors through motivational presentations and through my written works.

Some of you may already know me from a serial story I wrote "Julie & The Lost Fairy Tale" that was printed in the Union Tribune as a serial story a couple of years ago.

Here is one of the programs I created for this project. I did a successful pilot program with five 2nd grade classes in Hemet last year. I have also modified the program for preschoolers.

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Jeffrey LawtonMember

Janie, I don't seem to be able to find my place around here either, no fault of yours certainly, but it's more than that the site isn't well organized. I'm a "retired" (not exactly voluntarily) male in Ventura County on fixed income trying to get therapy for C-PTSD with alexithymia and I can't find either term here with the site search. My late mother was neck-deep in cluster B personality disorders, I counted 5 and yes I know by "orthodox" accounting there aren't supposed to be that many, too bad for me I guess! I already won a modest SSA disability award for PTSD and the fatigue from my hypervigilance insomnia, a condition which requires me to take my seroquel prescription (an antipsychotic) each night just to fall asleep. The pitiful part is I already wasted a full decade attempting to get relief by "standard" therapies like CBT and EMDR, too bad there wasn't someone around to point out that if you're alexithymic they probably WON'T WORK, hey weren't the therapists THEMSELVES supposed to be "honest enough" to at least tell me that?, I guess not. So just recently I started getting infra-low neurofeedback from a competent practitioner and I feel it's probably the only modality likely to work, and most C-PTSD/DTD victims aren't even aware it's available! I'm also told I ought to look for "attachment therapy" but I'm not sure what that means or how it would work under the circumstances. I would sure like to think given the amount of unnecessary grief I had to undergo getting this far that I could help others at least avoid some of it, but I too can't figure out what I should do because I can't even find the structure to fit into here yet, I'm trying to post on some other topical websites about this sort of thing but I don't think they're as frequently read as this one, what do you think could be done about the situation?

10/16/168:24 PM

Janie LancasterMember

Yes I would like to join your face book.

See comment below.Originally Posted by Christine Cissy White:

The work is wonderful and important and I wonder if the writing alone is one part of your great success as I know it can be one powerful and healthful tool. I also wonder if your book, though geared towards kids, wouldn't be good for adults.

There's a book being put together (out in one month) called Trigger Points for survivors of abuse and it's about how we parent. A lot of the pieces are about learning to parent ourselves and raise our emotional selves. I know I've learned so much about attachment parenting and it was for my daughter and happened when I learned about attachment in adoption. But I soon realized I brought my own issues to the attachment equation. But honestly, reading about early childhood development was so much more healing, direct and educational than trying to untangle and work backwards starting at adult life.

Anyhow, good for you. There's a small group on Facebook and you are welcome to join. We're all stretched and volunteers so it's not as organized as I had hoped. But, you can share there as well if you want and I'm happy to share on my page Heal Write Now with about 1200 people on it almost all who are writers, survivors of abuse and advocates or one or all of those things.

There are some great people here doing similar work.

Honestly, I'm a fan of ANY and all Trauma Informed work by trauma survivors.

To me, it's not trauma informed care if it's not informed by trauma survivors.

Go you!!!

Cissy

Originally Posted by Janie Lancaster:

Thank you Cheryl for your interest in my work. I do have a book that can help niece. It is available in paperback and an an ebooks for iPad, Kindle and B&N. I will be happy to send you a personalized copy if you email me at: Janielbl@gmail.com

A local Librarian gave it to a troubled teen and she said it turned her life around.

Discussion Guidelines Included
Emily, a desperate young girl who unlocks dark secrets and comes of age in the midst of physical and emotional abandonment. (Age 11 and up)

"Great book. Powerful writing. Haunting words. I have read many books about abuse. This one really focuses on the truly dark secrets and the struggles that continue to cling for a very long time.  — "Dore E. Frances, M.A. (Therapeutic Consultant) Horizon Family Solutions, LLC
More information on: www.janielancaster.com

10/19/156:10 PM

Janie LancasterMember

Thank you Cissy for your encouragement. The Emily book is good for both young teens and adults. One woman in her 50's wrote a review on Amazon for the Emily book and said that it was the hardest book she ever loved. The emotional journey of Emily brings one in touch with their inner child and can help to understand an heal that child. One man in his 70's said that if he would have read my book as a boy he would have treated girls much nicer.

I would love to have my book posted on your face book but I do not have an account does that make a difference? I have not done a great deal of marketing as it is a negative energy for me. I can spend hours talking to kids and adults about healing and not tire out but marketing drains me instantly. I would appreciate any help I can get. Please tell me what I need to do.

I do have a website: www.janielancaster.com you could put on your site for me if you like and you can copy and paste anything from my site if you like.

BTW I did write alone. I had hypergraphia for a time and wrote thousands of words a day. It began with mind mapping and opened up a whole new me. Writing was not a choice it was the only way I could communicate within my mind. You see i had a right brain awakening. Part of my right brain had been in a coma for most of my life.

I didn't understand what was in my mind until I read what I wrote. It was a frightening time in my life.

I recorded everything in this book. Most of what I write was in poetry form. I edited and published the book to help others like me. I did some programs to help women the heal using this small book.

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10/18/157:55 PM

Christine Cissy WhiteIt's not trauma-informed unless it's informed by trauma survivors.

There are some great people here doing similar work.

Honestly, I'm a fan of ANY and all Trauma Informed work by trauma survivors.

To me, it's not trauma informed care if it's not informed by trauma survivors.

Go you!!!

Cissy

Originally Posted by Janie Lancaster:

A local Librarian gave it to a troubled teen and she said it turned her life around.

10/18/1511:10 AM

Janie LancasterMember

A local Librarian gave it to a troubled teen and she said it turned her life around.

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10/17/159:05 PM

Cheryl BoeseMember

Hi Janie,

It sounds like you have used your personal tragic experience in a creative and generous way. I love the idea of putting resources out there for kids who may be in the midst of their own ACEs. I have only begun my journey, as I am still absorbing all the information in "Childhood Disrupted". I knew about the psychological consequences of my own ACEs, but it never occurred to me that my sudden onset of health problems as I turned fifty this year could have any relationship to my score (a conservative 6). I am hoping to create something for my niece who is facing her fair share of ACEs. She is 12 now, and I recall that that age was the begining of several extremely difficult and vulnerable years for me. Do you have any resources for someone in that age group? Anyway,thanks for doing this important work!

10/17/153:23 PM

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