1 in 4 school aged children have experienced a traumatic event. Childhood trauma is defined as a single event or prolonged exposure to traumatic experiences that overwhelm a child’s ability to cope. (National Child Trauma Stress Network, 2008.)
Examples of traumatic experiences include:
Anxiety is a signal our mind and body gives us that danger is near. That danger may come from internal or external sources. Often times stress and anxiety will be cumulative and will draw upon our personal and physical resources. Everybody has different levels of tolerance for different levels of stress and anxiety but excessive stress and anxiety can lead to lowered self-esteem and feelings of depression.
What comes to mind when you think of taking risks with your health – driving recklessly, or maybe abusing alcohol or illegal drugs? Those behaviors are very risky but many people have less dramatic behaviors that are just as dangerous in the long run. Tobacco use, unbalanced nutrition and a lack of physical activity are some of the key risk factors for the most common causes of death.
The top 10 causes of death include:
Statistics compiled by the National Institute of Mental Health indicate that major depression affects over ten million people in the United States each year and that over a lifetime between 10 and 15 percent of people will experience at least one episode of major depression. In addition, research has shown that two out of three people who experience depression are women. However, this figure may not accurately reflect male and female depression because in our culture it is generally considered to be more acceptable for women to talk about their feelings and show emotions.
When asking people about their concerns with air pollution, most admit that they have a concern. When asking people about their concern with water pollution, the same applies. However, when I ask people about body pollution, many do not know what I am talking about. What are Inhalants? Inhalants are chemicals that produce fumes (vapors) usually at roomtemperature and that can produce mind altering effects when inhaled by the body. Some people abuse them for a high, however, some people just do not realize the dangerous effects of these chemicals.
Returning to life as the COVID-19 restrictions loosen may be much harder than anyone had expected. The experts refer to this as a “new normal” but it is not clear what this may mean for all of us emotionally.