EPISODE 33: THE COMPLEX EFFECTS OF TRAUMA WITH DR. CHRISTIAN HEIM

EPISODE 33: THE COMPLEX EFFECTS OF TRAUMA WITH DR. CHRISTIAN HEIM

* Please Note - Some links in this post may be affiliate links *

Hello friends and welcome back to the Is That Soh Podcast!

Today on the podcast, I have invited award-winning Psychiatrist and Music Professor Dr. Christian Heim to come on the podcast and talk to us about the complex effects of trauma, trauma symptoms, the causes of trauma, types of trauma, and trauma recovery/how we can overcome it.

With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Heim speaks from a place of deep compassion and authority on Mental Health. Anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, suicide, personality issues, and relationship breakdown are all common themes in his line of work, and his latest book "The 7 Types of Love: navigating love in a fractured world" was created with the hopes of helping people better understand and connect with each other.

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Today on the podcast we are going to be talking about the complex effects of trauma, what happens when a person experiences trauma, trauma symptoms, the causes of trauma, types of trauma ( ie physical trauma, childhood trauma, psychological trauma), how the body holds on to trauma, triggers, window of tolerance, and trauma recovery / how to heal from trauma.

To learn more about Dr. Christian Heim - CLICK HERE

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Feel free to leave your thought below!

Also, special thanks to Mattias Friberg for composing the music for this podcast and perfecting my sound!

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- TYPES OF TRAUMA -

Emotional Trauma / Psychological Trauma - is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won't go away.

Childhood Trauma - often described as serious adverse childhood experiences, childhood trauma could include neglect, abandonment, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing abuse of a sibling or parent.

Physical Trauma - a serious injury to the body. Two main types of physical trauma are:

• Blunt force trauma—when an object or force strikes the body, often causing concussions, deep cuts, or broken bones.

• Penetrating trauma—when an object pierces the skin or body, usually creating an open wound.

Generational Trauma - trauma that isn't just experienced by one person but extends from one generation to the next (ie psychological distress experienced by children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors)

Complex Trauma - Complex trauma commonly occurs with repeated trauma against a child. Sometimes a parent or caregiver has experienced their own trauma, which is still affecting them e.g. from mental illness, drugs and alcohol misuse, or being physically or emotionally unavailable. Many situations can cause complex trauma in childhood however not all complex trauma is based in a persons childhood and can be a result of experiences of violence in the community, domestic and family violence, civil unrest, war trauma or genocide, refugee and asylum seeker trauma, sexual exploitation and trafficking, extreme medical trauma and/or re-traumatisation.

Collective Trauma or Mass Trauma - a psychological reaction to a traumatic event shared by any group of people and can affect even an entire society. Covid is an example of a collective trauma.

Betrayal Trauma - trauma perpetrated by someone with whom the victim is close to and reliant upon for support and survival.

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- TRAUMA SYMPTOMS -

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- ADDITIONAL RESOURCES -

The 7 Love Types: Navigating love in a fractured world.

We live in a fractured world: pandemics, economic upheavals, mental illness, screen addiction, loneliness, alienation & separation. We look for love, get confused, get hurt and lose love. More than ever, we need better relationships with family, friends, love partners, and even strangers. Do we even understand love? Or the different love types? Science and Ancient Ideas can help us know love more, show love more, and secure it in our lives.

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- Where To Find Dr. Heim Online -

INSTAGRAM ▶ @drchristianheim
WEBSITE ▶ www.drchristianheim.com
YOUTUBE ▶Dr. Christian Heim

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If you have any comments or questions about the complex effects of trauma, what happens when a person experiences trauma, trauma symptoms, the causes of trauma, types of trauma ( ie physical trauma, childhood trauma, psychological trauma), how the body holds on to trauma, triggers, window of tolerance, and trauma recovery / how to heal from trauma, feel free to leave them below! I hope you enjoyed this episode and I look forward to sharing more episodes soon!

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EPISODE 16: #BLACKLIVESMATTER, WHITE PRIVILEGE AND HOW TO BE A BETTER ALLY WITH SARAFINA ARTHUR WILLIAMS

EPISODE 16: #BLACKLIVESMATTER, WHITE PRIVILEGE AND HOW TO BE A BETTER ALLY WITH SARAFINA ARTHUR WILLIAMS 

Hello Friends and welcome back to the Is That Soh Podcast!

Today on the podcast I have invited wellness psychologist and founder of Intentional Simplicity, Sarafina Arthur Williams to come on and educate us on the state of mental health in the BIPOC community, what white privilege is and how we can use it to help people of colour by being better allies.

The reason why I ask Sarafina to come on the show was because, even prior to the Black Lives Matter Protest this past summer and the death of George Floyd, I had listened to one or two conversations around white privilege and how to have conversations with people in marginalized groups about race, but it wasn’t until I sat back, muted myself and actively started to listen, that I notice how ignorant I was to ‘the black experience’, their history of oppression and injustice, and the place they hold on social media.

As someone who has black friends and even black relatives, I admit I have never tried to have conversations with them around race but this experience made me realize that maybe I should.

Even after examining my own social media feed, which was filled with predominant white faces it also made me ask myself, ‘How I expect to learn more about people in marginalized groups if I don’t show interest in people’s experiences that are different then my own.’

Further, since I have a particular interest in mental health, it worried me how, with all that is going on in the world, the BIPOC community is doing in terms of taking care of their mental health and if they are even able to get the help they need because:
1) you usually have to pay out of pocket for anything mental health related which can be a deterrent or barrier to seeking help and,
2) less than 2 % of mental health care practitioners are Black or African American and how can you expect those who need help to get proper help when those available to give it aren’t culturally competent enough to treat and understand specific issues as they relate to the black experience.

And so that is why I wanted Sarafina to come on and talk with us, because not only has she lived the black experience but she is a masters level psychologist who can relay her first hand insights and experience of growing up in the black community along with knowledge on the state of it’s mental health.

Sarafina Arthur-Williams is the CEO and founder of Intentional Simplicity LLC, a wellness-based mental health private practice. As a wellness psychologist and creative consultant, she educates her clients and mental health practitioners about positive psychology, art therapy, and the value of wellness and mindfulness. She is ranked on Feedspot’s top psychology bloggers of 2020 and features as a guest speaker on a variety of mental health platforms. To encourage sustainability, Sarafina documents how she practices wellness in her daily life through her online presence.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Feel free to leave your thought below!

Also, special thanks to Mattias Friberg for composing the music for this podcast and perfecting my sound!

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- BIPOC Mental Health Statistics -

• Black and African American teenagers are more likely to attempt suicide than White teenagers (9.8 percent v. 6.1 percent).

• 16% (4.8 million) of Black and African American people reported having a mental illness, and 22.4% (1.1 million people) reported a serious mental illness over the past year.

• Serious mental illness (SMI) rose among all ages of Black and African American people between 2008 and 2018.

• Binge drinking, smoking (cigarettes and marijuana), illicit drug use and prescription pain reliever misuse are more frequent among Black and African American adults with mental illnesses.

• Black and African American people are more often diagnosed with schizophrenia and less often diagnosed with mood disorders compared to white people with the same symptoms.
  Additionally, they are offered medication or therapy at the lower rates than the general population.

• Black and African American people are over-represented in our jails and prisons. Black and
  African American people make up 13 percent of the general U.S. population, but nearly 40 percent of the prison population. In 2016, the imprisonment rate for Black and African American men (2,417 per 100,000 Black male residents) was more than 6 times greater than that for white men (401 per 100,000 white male residents) and the imprisonment rate for Black and African American women (97 per 100,000 Black and African American female residents) was almost double that for white women (49 per 100,000 white female residents). [13] Black and African American people with mental health conditions, specifically those involving psychosis, are more likely to be in jail or prison than people of other races.

• Because less than 2 percent of American Psychological Association members are Black or African American

• 11.5 percent of Black and African Americans, versus 7.5 percent of white Americans were still uninsured in 2018.

• In 2018, 58.2 % of Black and African American young adults 18-25 and 50.1 % of adults 26-49 with serious mental illness did NOT receive treatment

- Stats From Mental Health America - https://www.mhanational.org/issues/black-and-african-american-communities-and-mental-health

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- Additional Resources -

1. 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

2. Talking about Race with Children

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- Where To Find Sarafina Online -

WEBSITE ▶ Www.LiveIntentionallySimplistic.Com
INSTAGRAM ▶ @intentional_simplicity_llc
FACEBOOK ▶ @intentionalsimplicityllc

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EPISODE 15: HOW TO HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS

EPISODE 15: HOW TO HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS

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Hello Friends and welcome back to the Is That Soh Podcast!

For today’s episode, I thought I would do a little solo show and talk about one theme that I feel has been brought up time and time again throughout the first half of this season. They are situation that occurs in everyone’s life where tough topics need to be discussed and although we may hate to have discussions about them, they are a necessary part of life. So that is why I thought I’d devote today’s episode to developing a playbook oh how to make having them a little bit easier.

If you hate conflict and avoid it as much as possible, know that you are not alone. According to a Harvard Business Review, 67% of managers are uncomfortable talking to the people they manage - and that’s literally their job. However, it is important to understand that conflict avoidance robs you of your energy, power, and emotional freedom, and does not serve you in any way which is why learning how to get conformable having hard conversations is the only way to find relief from a stressful situation!

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Feel free to leave your thought below!

Also, special thanks to Mattias Friberg for composing the music for this podcast and perfecting my sound!

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- Episode Recap -

1. Learning to sit with yourself and comb through your thoughts - be honest with yourself and acknowledge the need for the conversations

2. Prep!

   • define your ideal outcome

   • rehearse with a friend

   • choose your language wisely

   • watch your body language

3. Set ground rules

   • allow each other time to speak while the other listens - no interrupting!

   • name calling, throwing objects, and swearing are off-limits

   • allow time out or the ability to initiate a pauses

4. Be okay with possibly being wrong - You may have misinterpreted the situation or have the wrong information and therefore things aren’t as black and white as you may have originally thought, and that’s okay.

5. Be honest and straightforward - use specific examples making sure to watch your tone and the words you use so you don't come off accusatory.

6. Acknowledge your responsibilities and avoidance in dealing with the conflict sooner

7. Be empathetic, listen and validate - this doesn’t mean you have to agree or change the point you are trying to make, it just makes them feel like they are an even playing field and are able to be heard too.

8. Make sure not to:

   • dominate the conversation

   • jump in to fill silence

   • interrupt when they are talking

9. If the conversation starts going sideways, reiterate the reason why you are having the conversation - to maintain mutual respect and problem solve so you can improve the relationship and both of your lives.

10. It’s okay to disappoint people

    • set boundaries if you need to

11. Stick to your target - as you near the end of the conversation restate your point and offer a possible solution

    • brainstorm steps together on how to achieve the solution

12. Ask questions to make sure they understood everything discussed

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- Episode Sources -

1. Harvard Business Review - Two Thirds Of Managers Are Uncomfortable Communicating with Employees

2. Forbes - How To Have Difficult Conversations At Work

3. Oprah - How to Have a Hard Conversation in 7 Steps

4. Psychology Today - How to Have Difficult Conversations

5. Fatherly.com - Why Cars Are The Best Place to Have Tough Conversations with Kids

6. Parenting Across the Gap: Raising Teens in the 21st Century - By Famlily Pyschologist Fred Peipman, Ph.D.

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EPISODE 14: HOW ELLIA MARCUM FOUND HER STRENGTH TO DEAL WITH THE AMBIGUOUS LOSS OF HER FATHER, AN ALCOHOLIC MOTHER, AND WORK THROUGH HER HUSBANDS MARITAL AFFAIR

EPISODE 14: HOW ELLIA MARCUM FOUND HER STRENGTH TO DEAL WITH THE AMBIGUOUS LOSS OF HER FATHER, AN ALCOHOLIC MOTHER AND WORK THROUGH HER HUSBANDS MARITAL AFFAIR

Hello Friends and welcome back to the Is That Soh Podcast!

Today, I have invited mother, wife, daughter and certified mental health coach Ellia Marcum, to come on the podcast to tell us her life story of how she overcame extremely difficult circumstances and personal traumas.

I was first introduced to Ellia when she reached out to me to tell me her story of healing and growth after growing up with an alcoholic mother, experiencing the ambiguous loss of her father, and battling through a betrayal trauma after her husband had a marital affair.

I knew as she ended her story and began to tell me about the reasons why she started her company Mood|Well, that she needed to come on the podcast because much like Myles story in Episode 11, hearing someone be so open, honest and self aware gives us all the courage to face our own personal shame and trauma; and I want to continue to empower this community to talk about what they are going through and express themselves so that we can all overcome barriers holding us back from finding our true purpose and source of happiness. So, here we are!

Ellia Marcum is a Certified Professional Life Coach, a support group facilitator through A Door of Hope, and Mental Health First Responder and Coach. She owns and operated her own business, Mood|Well, where she helps women heal and cope from mental illness and life crises through one-on-one sessions and support groups.

Also, special thanks to Mattias Friberg for composing the music for this podcast and perfecting my sound!

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Feel free to leave your thought below!

- RESOURCES -

1. CALL 211 - Or visit https://www.211.org/services/crisis if you are in the United States

2. Crisis Service Canada

3. Is That Soh Podcast Mental Health Toolbox Episode

4. CheckPointOrg - A global resource for local crisis websites and emergency contact Numbers

5. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma By Bessel van der Kolk M.D

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- WHERE TO FIND ELLIA ONLINE -

WEBSITE ▶ Www.MoodWellCoaching.Org
INSTAGRAM ▶ @Mood.Well_Coaching

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If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to leave them below

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