I’ve been talking a lot about trauma and trauma prevention in the past weeks, yet there is one group of individuals with a potential risk of traumatization who I haven’t yet discussed: you. Anyone in the health or mental health community inherently knows about compassion fatigue, even if you don’t know the official definitions. How […]
Which Symptoms of PTSD Cause the Most Damage?
Understanding the damage caused by certain symptoms may help us improve the quality of life for patients with PTSD. Lori Zoellner PhD, Director of the University of Washington’s Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress, published a study in the Journal of Psychiatric Services. By interviewing 184 people seeking treatment for PTSD, she found specific symptoms […]
Therapeutic Touch and its Effectiveness in Treating Anxiety
Do you know someone who has struggled to break free from anxiety? According to a study conducted by Patricia Heidt, Ph.D., R.N., therapeutic touch could bring a new dimension to their healing. In this study, published in Nursing Research, Dr. Heidt looked at the effectiveness of therapeutic touch on 90 subjects’ anxiety levels in a […]
Can a Broken Heart Lead to Cardiovascular Problems?
Is it possible that attachment issues can have a significant impact on the development of disease? A new study, published in Health Psychology, took a look at adult attachment and it’s link to health conditions. Lachlan McWilliams, PhD of Acadia University in Nova Scotia, department of psychology, studied 5,645 adults between the ages of 18 […]
Spotlight on Application: Building Stress Resilience and Countering Bullying with Roots of Empathy
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it about a million times: theory is necessary, but then application – application – application! Sarah, a member of our staff, lived in Canada, where she was given a brochure soon after her daughter’s birth. The brochure talked about a volunteer program, using caregivers and infants, that helped […]
How International Classrooms are Treating Trauma
As American school children start their summer vacation plans, I got to thinking about the state of unrest in so many countries and what it was like for children in Syria, Yemen, Japan, Egypt, Mongolia, and so on. With so much strife going on in the streets, are there even classes available for them to […]
Returning Soldiers and Humanitarian Action: Bridging the Gap
A few days ago, I heard a news item that really caught my attention. It was about Team Rubicon – and maybe you’ve heard about them, but their mission was new to me. And while the news story was heart-warming, it had a very sad beginning: the wide-swipe of a killer tornado. But what is […]
When a Pencil is Still a Weapon: Torture and Untreated PTSD
Have you heard of the film that has recently come out, called “The First Grader”? It’s based on the real life story of an elderly Kenyan man, Maruge, who in his youth fought with the Mau Mau during the rebellion that precipitated Kenyan independence from the United Kingdom. The Mau Mau rebellion is generally recognized […]
Recognizing the Risk of PTSD in Our Patients
When we think of PTSD, many practitioners automatically think of soldiers, rape survivors, or childhood abuse survivors. Few of us think about other groups of people, particularly the patients in our hospitals, with a high risk of developing PTSD. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons […]
Microsoft and Skype…Continued
When Skype was founded in 2003, I’m sure that a merger with a global technological giant like Microsoft was far from their minds, or even dreams. According to Microsoft’s official press release, the driving idea behind Skype was to “break down barriers to communication” and connect people across the world for little cost.¹ And it […]