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childhood trauma

Do Religious Families Play a Role In Addiction?

By Thomas Gagliano, MSW In order to understand why religious families inadvertently and at times unintentionally create an environment where their children run to addiction rather than God as their coping mechanism, we must first begin by understanding the mindset of a child. When we look back on our childhood, we look back through adult lenses. Since then, we have grown by our maturity and life experiences, which may have distorted the truth of our childhood. Many of us carry messages that tell us we are bad children if we get mad at our parents or disagree with them. This message can have a profound impact on the way the person feels about himself or herself in adulthood. It is important to respect our parents but we can also have different opinions. A child needs to feel their opinion is important to their parents or the child may feel he or she isn’t important. Validating and acknowledging a child’s feelings is essential if they are to have self-worth. If children are afraid to share their true feelings and doubts in fear of reprisal then who can they trust? All of these messages set up the destructive entitlement that leads to addiction. It’s no coincidence that most addictions begin before the age of 18. Read More

Covert Childhood Trauma Can Lead to PTSD

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with members of the military, veterans, police officers, emergency personnel, and people who have faced life-threatening situations, the disorder can be triggered by any overwhelming experience, including years of emotional abuse and neglect in childhood. Read More

The Complex Trauma Survivor Faces a Lifetime Worth of Bullying

By Shahida Arabi, M.A. Complex trauma survivors face a dilemma that very few can fathom: they are forced to confront present-day stressors while attempting to resolve triggers from the past. These layers upon layers of trauma take courage, support, and time to unravel. The healing journey of a complex trauma… Read More

Peeling Away the Layers of Trauma: Survivors II

By: Dr. Georgia Fourlas, LCSW, LISAC, CSATClinical Director of Workshops, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows There is an undeniable link between childhood trauma and the ability to cope with adult trauma. Traumatic experiences seem to build upon one another and not in a good way. Read More

The Gifts of Emotional Acceptance

By Brenna Gonzales, MS, LPC, Therapist at Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows  In our culture, we’re taught that certain feelings are off-limits. There’s a general sense that if you’re not happy most of the time, you’re doing life wrong. We experience emotions for a distinct reason. They are a… Read More

Picking Up The Pieces

Theresa had reached a point in her life when she felt she was in a downward spiral. Her therapist recommended that she go through the Survivors I workshop at The Meadows, a five-day intensive that addresses childhood trauma. It prompted her to make a lot of… Read More

How to Move Beyond Blame and Reclaim Your Wholeness

By Vicki Tidwell Palmer, LCSW The following article is based on Pia Mellody’s Post Induction Therapy model of treating childhood trauma. When it comes to dealing with childhood issues, most of us tend to gravitate toward one of the following extremes: It’s in the past, so what’s the point?It’s… Read More

The Electricity of Carried Shame

Note: This article originally appeared in Fall 2005 of MeadowLark, the magazine for alumni of The Meadows. The Electricity of Carried ShameBy Lawrence S. Freundlich Children need and expect love and nurturing from their parents. This expectation is built into the genes of the human infant, who needs affirmation… Read More

Child Abuse, Neglect, and Character Defects

By John Bradshaw Note: This article was originally published in the Spring 2004 edition of Cutting Edge, the online newsletter of The Meadows. One of the most insidious effects of child neglect and abuse is their impact on the “character” foundation. Addiction, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and the codependency that fuels it… Read More