One of the perils of trauma is that it can destroy a survivor’s sense of time. But when this happens, how can we help to restore it? Recently, I spoke with Bessel van der Kolk, MD, considered the world’s leading expert in post-traumatic stress. Watch below as Bessel explains how trauma affects our patients’ sense […]
Early Traumatic Events May Contribute to the Development of Eating Disorders
Is it what you’re eating… or what’s eating you? Recent research shows that lack of family support following psychological trauma in childhood can contribute to life-long eating disorders. It’s fascinating to think that physical malnourishment may reflect a lack of emotional nourishment in a traumatic childhood. Jerica Berge, PhD and colleagues from the University of […]
How Trauma Affects a Child’s Brain
We all know that trauma impacts us emotionally, but does it also affect our intelligence? A new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that children who witness their mothers being the victim of abuse, or experience physical or sexual abuse themselves, actually score lower on cognitive tests later in life. […]
Old Before Their Time: The Effect of PTSD on Children’s Telomeres
Stress and PTSD can take a toll on our bodies, minds, and spirits, resulting in damage that can age us before our time. That’s not an opinion − it’s been proven scientifically. It’s no secret that I love learning about telomeres, which are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that keep them from deteriorating. […]
Leading Psychiatric Doctor Claims Re-labeling PTSD as PTSI will bring "Unintended Consequences"
Will re-naming Post Traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) to Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) help to reduce patient stigma?According to Matthew Friedman, MD, PhD, the answer is no. In our last post, I talked about whether or not we should drop the “disorder” from PTSD. Now, let’s get into the discussion the American Psychiatric Association is having. In […]