One thing to ponder while sharing information about catastrophes such as the Covid-19 outbreak with children: How much is too much to discuss? And how much is too little? Children are sponges, dependent by nature on caregivers for survival as well as their overall psychological and emotional well-being. They absorb whatever is shared with them, processing it unfiltered to varying degrees, … [Read more...]
A two-step approach to childhood pain
It is instinctual to intervene when a child is hurt, physically or emotionally -- to try to stop the young one's pain. Say when a child suffers a cut or a bruise. Or feels the emotional pain of losing a pet. Or reels from injurious comments made by a bully at school. Our inclination is to say something like, "It's OK; it’s not that bad." Or, "Honey you'll be OK -- just shake it off." Or the … [Read more...]
Siblings: the bitter and the sweet
While psychology -- in particular psychoanalysis -- so frequently focuses on early childhood experiences, it's surprising to find that relatively little has been written on the subject of siblings. Lately, however, researchers have found that in many ways one's siblings have a great impact on a person -- in childhood, of course, but also on the direction of later life. How that person views … [Read more...]
When adult children reject parents
Being estranged from your adult child can be one of the most agonizing experiences in life. If your adult child has severed the connection, you undoubtedly have experienced pain and trauma. The reasons for these breaks vary; sometimes it is never completely clear why such a hard loss occurs. If this is the case in your life, now is the time for self-reflection and examination. An exploration of … [Read more...]
In small towns across the United States
This article introduces a specific and potentially harmful type of trauma-stress syndrome, typically experienced within family systems. To date, this syndrome -- domestic emotional distress disorder (DEDD) -- has not been submitted for consideration as a formal diagnosis by the psychiatric community. Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD delayed (symptoms of PTSD displayed beyond six months) … [Read more...]