Blog

n the last article, we began discussing how brain inflammation is indicated in the formation of severe mental illnesses. Today we are going to explore two major mental illnesses, major depression, and schizophrenia, and how brain inflammation has become implicated in their formation. What is Inflammation? Inflammation is one of the body’s defense responses to injury or invasion by pathogens (viruses and bacterium). Inflammation has two basic types, acute and chronic. Acute inflammation...

Healing the Heart Through the Creative Arts, Education & Advocacy Hope, Healing & Help for Trauma, Abuse & Mental Health “ Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”. Kahlil Gibran The Surviving Spirit Newsletter December 2020 Hi Folks, Hoping this finds you well and safe. Wow, coming to the end of a very challenging year...I do hope that 2021 brings forth healing and hope for all of us. Life can be hard, a pandemic...

By Mary Severance, Public Policy Institute of California, December 17, 2020 Millions of Californians have lost work and income during the COVID-19 crisis, with low-income families, communities of color, and women bearing the brunt. The virus and its economic fallout are likely to exacerbate longstanding income inequality in California. Can policymakers pave the way for an equitable recovery? At a virtual event last Tuesday, Sarah Bohn , vice president of research at PPIC, outlined a new...

By Liz Dozier and Candice C. Jones, Stanford Social Innovation Review, December 14, 2020 This year, as COVID-19 raged and our nation faced a collective racial reckoning, we’ve seen increased charitable giving both to Black communities and to Black-led organizations that are implementing new visions of justice and safety. But how can we ensure that this new burst in investment is more than a passing trend? How can we build awareness, systems, and processes to ensure these investments continue...

With a history of abuse, drug addiction, weight gain and trauma, Maz changed her life around when she lost 30kg and went on to become a bikini competitor and sponsored ProTeam Australia athlete. Her physical transformation triggered a spiritual and emotional awakening forcing her to look within and dig into subconscious thought patterns and behaviours.

The Attachment & Trauma Network's 4th Annual Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools Conference will be held virtually in 2021! Over the course of four days, we will be offering over 40 workshops, with keynote speeches by: Dr. Tina Payne Bryson , Ingrid Cockhren , M.Ed. , Dr. Mona Delahooke , and Dr. Melissa Sadin . In addition, we are very excited to announce that Childhood Trauma and PTSD expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk , author of The Body Keeps the Score, will be our special guest on...

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of millions of children and their families. How has this prolonged period of social distancing affected them? We discuss concerns about child abuse and neglect during this time, as well as toxic stress and prevention and resilience strategies. Dr. Jack Shonkoff, who founded Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, will speak with PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham will take viewer questions on the subject. Watch the conversation in the live player...

Lottery scratch off tickets are popular gifts for family members at Christmas. What can beat the thrill of the chance to win money? They have bright colors, have themes that make us think of fun, and can create conversation and competition among family members. Often there are young eyes watching the adults as they are thrilled to scratch off their tickets. Why does it matter? Naturally youth are curious and want to join in! There are reasons why the minimum age is 18 to buy a lottery ticket...

By Cat Wise and Sam Lane, Public Broadcasting Service, December 16, 2020 Cat Wise: The near constant wail of sirens, colorless, boarded-up buildings, vacant lots littered with trash. In parts of America's third-largest city, a simple walk down the street can be unnerving. It's difficult to fully capture the scope of trauma in a city like Chicago, where gun violence, poverty and other factors create a toxic living environment for many families. One area disproportionately impacted by the...

By JacqueLynn Hatter, Center for Health Journalism, December 13, 2020 The number of children who are taken for involuntary psychiatric evaluations in Florida increases every year. This is the first story in a five-part series about how the state's Baker Act affects children. Each day in Florida, about 100 kids are involuntarily committed for psychiatric exams under the state's Baker Act. The law was not designed for children, yet over the past few years, the number of minors taken for mental...

By Kavitha Cardoza, The Hechinger Report, December 14, 2020 When Nando was in the fourth grade, his older brother was killed by gangs in El Salvador. His mother was terrified for his safety, so Nando stopped going to school. For years, he stayed indoors. It felt like prison,” he said. Nando’s family struggled to put food on the table. They grew increasingly desperate. So, at 16, he decided to make the treacherous journey to the U.S., leaving behind his parents and younger brother. [ Please...

By Maddy Weinberg, California Magazine, December 2020 As California’s first-ever surgeon general, how do you hope to shape the position? Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: Governor Newsom established the position of California Surgeon General with the understanding that some of the most pernicious, but least-addressed health challenges are the upstream factors that eventually become chronic and acute conditions that are far more difficult and expensive to treat. As the first California Surgeon...