Marina Del Rey, CA

United States

90292

grand parent, parent, volunteer teacher of meditation.

I volunteer at homeless shelters specifically to work with women.. Many women in homeless shelters are living out unresolved trauma. I teach mediation, mindfulness techniques, stress reduction as a volunteer. I work with children in schools and shelters teaching them tools for life.

I learned about Ace researching on line, trying to understand childhood trauma. I grew in trauma, and I am aware I am effected by it. I work on learning how to manage it. I really appreciate this initiative. I was in and out of foster homes. I chose to do foster care and adopt thinking i would make a difference. I guess I have to some degree. I witness generational continuances in the the dysfunction present in the children I cared for and I am now watching behaviors and patterns being engrained in the grandchildrens lives. I aspire to learn as much as I can and make a difference, perhaps even be able to HALT or Stop the passing on of this. I also deal with severe health concerns and am disabled to a large degree. I have been diagnosed as well with a genetic illness as well as mental illness. I have worked very hard in my life to not live the childhood I grew in. Your program gives me some hope. Also, I feel less isolated at seeing in words and actions that these childhood traumas really do hurt and mishape the growing brain and human. For so long I did not know, I just knew I was "not right". Then I believed I was damaged goods. Broken. Then I discovered names and diagnosis and that information could help me, educating myself, could help me, create a better me. I worked on this for years. As I have entered my 50's I am seeing declining health and more mental illness patterns surfacing differently. Like seeds and or weeds planted in the garden and carried over into different seasons, perhaps dormant for a time or grew in one aspect but based on internal and external environment reshaped into, morphed into, other expressions. Except, now I am older. I am older and I am tired. My life has been blessed, by persistence and active choices, but many things I have simply had to allow and accept. My genetic Tarlov Cyst syndrome. Aspects of what appears to be vascular EDS. Rapid Cycler Bipolar Disorder with Depression. Weak immune system. I have had Diagnosed Viral Meningitis 7 times. I have had and been diagnosed with Rhuematic Fever. I have had My Tarlov Cyst Syndrome break my back in 3 areas and early on set of advanced osteoporosis cause stress fractures in my thoracic spine. I live an incredible amount of physical pain. I do not use or like drugs of any kind. My Mother was a opiate abuser and my mother and father were both severe alcoholics. Very kind people. They fought off and on with limited knowledge and no resources to counter their own childhoods. My Father lived violent physical abuse from his Father. He was almost killed at 12 and made to leave the family home then and survive on his own. He suffered much more abuse and hardship once he left as well. My Mother never spoke of her childhood save three things. They both are dead now. I was with both as they died. I feel that I did a lot of healing and was able to help them heal in areas too. My Mothers childhood and whatever occurred will remain unknown. I was blessed to fall in love with and Marry an incredible, stable, kind, beautiful human being. We shared 22 of the most nourishing, healing years of my life. He stood by me as I unraveled my forgotten and buried past. I had fought so hard to survive and run away from it that when we met he had to help me see that I was living the patterns of abuse. That all I want to share right now on that. I will close with gratitude. .

Not yet. I would consider it. Definitely