trauma

We now join Anne Marie McKinley (a Midwife and Birth Trauma Specialist at Afterthoughts NI) for the final part of this sub-series and take a look at various trauma therapies available to both mums and dads.

Which Therapeutic Approach?

When either parent attend counselling in pregnancy, or post birth, several pathways may open up. If a woman is searching for a therapist herself, there are a number of things that may not be immediately obvious.

Therapy or counselling is often known to first time seekers through TV or film representations of how therapy works, or through reports from friends and family. Entering the perinatal timescale may also be the only space in the next number of years where parents can freely allocate time to heal old emotional wounds, deal with anxiety or depression, and come to terms with the journey of birth which may, for them, have been less than they had hoped and dreamed. It can be hard to prioritise self-care later on when there are little ones around your feet. [Read more…]

We now take a break from Anne Marie McKinley’s (a Midwife and Birth Trauma Specialist at Afterthoughts NI) mini series (focusing on the various aspects of birth trauma) by delving into the whys and wherefores around history and developments in this sixth part.

In 1992, Judith Lewis Herman published her book Trauma and Recovery. “The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma.” ¹

I live in Northern Ireland, born in the South. In 1998, I was in Stormont, waiting with family and friends for the signing of The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement because it was reached on Good Friday, 10 April 1998) and I remember my 3-year-old daughter escaping under the barrier to greet the politicians. There were stark predictions, by academics after the agreement was signed, of concern for the mental health of the next generation in Northern Ireland. In 2016, The Mental Health Foundation reported that Northern Ireland had a 25% higher overall prevalence of mental health problems than England. Previous to this, in 2014/15, according to the Northern Ireland Health Survey, 19% of individuals showed signs of a possible mental health problem. More women (20%) than men (16%) reported signs of mental health problems.² [Read more…]

Friend, Flight, Fight, Freeze, Flop? Anne Marie McKinley (a Midwife and Birth Trauma Specialist at Afterthoughts NI) now takes us through the why and how in her fifth instalment in this series.

The Trauma Response and Childbirth

Bessel van der Kolk has spent over 30 years training psychotherapists to work with psychological trauma. Taken from the 28^th Annual International Trauma Conference:

For almost three decades this conference has examined the evolving knowledge of how trauma affects psychological and biological developmental processes, and how the damage caused by trauma and neglect can be reversed. ¹

We live in a world where teachers, more frequently, educate small children in the skills of mindfulness and self-regulation early in their little lives. However, many adults will often only find this need to engage in such activities when they are pregnant. [Read more…]

Writing our thoughts down or maintaining a journal can be hugely therapeutic. There are also many other benefits to our mental health as shared here by our guest, Brenda Berg, who is a consultant and tutor for college students and entrepreneurs at Oxessays. Brenda believes that constant learning is the only way to success and shares her ‘writings’ at Let’s Go And Learn!

[Read more…]

Whilst post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly understood as a condition suffered by frontline personnel in the military and emergency services, there is a groundswell of opinion that suggest quite strongly that variations of PTSD can be found across society.

Janice Killey has a wealth of experience and training in this area and shares some of the signs we may be missing and gives insight into what PTSD is and the symptoms to watch out for. Janice also holds a Diploma of Education, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Master of Arts (Counselling), Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy (ASH) and is a Registered Psychologist at Psychologists Southern Sydney. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Many people nowadays are unaware that they have a mental condition called PTSD or best known as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Why is this so? Well, the reason for this is, even today, is the lack of information or awareness about it. Let me share with you what it is all about and the signs that you may be missing. [Read more…]

Guest author, Michael is a health and fitness blogger who is constantly attempting to learn about new techniques that may unlock the solution to ailments that modern medicine is unable to solve. He regularly writes about his discoveries and recommends other Past Life Regression QHHT to address PTSD issues also.

PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is defined as a condition where individuals suffer mental health issues after having experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. [Read more…]

Typically, many of us will experience single, or multiple, traumatic events at some stage in our lifetime. Our guest author gives succinct insight into what trauma is, the effects of trauma and the options for treating it.

[Read more…]

I am so pleased to be able to share this guest post from Meredith about a subject she, I, and many others are passionate about – adoption. I found this a hugely moving and powerful account, being a person who was also adopted. Does it resonate as strongly for you as it did for me? Perhaps you are a parent who adopted? [Read more…]

PTSD is anything but a ‘weakness’.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is increasingly being recognised as something real and tangible. The condition can be debilitating in the extreme, and can also manifest in less severe, but no less intrusive ways. [Read more…]