Children, by nature, are very vulnerable. Therefore, they are very reliant on the adults in their lives to help them. This makes them more susceptible to abuse.
Shaming yourself can easily bring you back to seeking comfort and familiarity by indulging in the very thing you are trying to change. Allow yourself grace, but try not to justify your behaviors at the same time.
We’ve all heard that aftershocks are often worse than the original earthquake. Similarly, it is not uncommon for people to be a rock star during a crisis only to fall apart after it is over.
Children are resilient. If they experience a traumatic event, it does not mean they have to be affected now or later in life. They can recover. It is important to recognize the signs of mental health problems and try to get your child help before these events impact them even more.
When people are faced with intense mental distress, the result can be hard to predict. In some cases, emotional suffering can lead to self-harm. One common example of this is cutting. It is important to note that self-harming is distinct from attempting suicide, or even feeling suicidal.
I often hear people say, “My experience is not as bad as someone else’s experience, so I have no reason to feel this way.” This type of thinking can slow the healing process, because when we invalidate our own trauma, we’re essentially locking ourselves up with our own shame and throwing away the key. It’s important to consider that your trauma is your own.
Holiday Stress is something that is probably impacting a lot of us right now — this year especially. The holidays are presented as a very joyful, warm, and fuzzy time of year. A lot of us want to decorate, give gifts, and bake treats. However, is this stereotypical image of the holidays realistic? What is the reality of bringing this vision to life?
Adjusting to college is hard enough without adding the curveball of COVID into the mix. You may be someone who welcomed the changes brought on by the pandemic. The reality is some people are ok with or even prefer the “new normal” and others do not. The truth is that it is okay to not be okay AND it’s also okay to be okay.
You may be in the process of deciding whether or not to send your kids to school in person or mentally preparing yourself for another round of virtual education. Trust that you will make the best decision you can for your children and your family.
Whatever you’re experiencing be sure to take a moment to name and recognize the emotion, with curiosity, not judgement. The bottom line is that we are all going to have different emotional responses to the current crisis in front of us. As written by author Nicki Peverett, “we are in the same storm, but not in the same boat.”
Feeling Safe
I feel safe at CFS. I know the staff is professional and understanding and that my thoughts and feelings will be heard and are valid.
Building Strength
My treatment at CFS has helped me find the ability to continue on through a horrible time. The office staff always greets me with a smile, that’s great.
Embrace New Ideas
It’s great to have someone to talk through my thoughts and feelings with — to get things out into the universe and have a neutral party help me learn how to process, try new things, embrace different ideas.
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