...Trauma, Development, and Spirituality Crissy Bontrager Liberty University Trauma, Development, and Spirituality Trauma during childhood can arise from a variety of circumstances. These circumstances can include neglect, maltreatment, various forms of abuse, divorce, to name a few. The effects of trauma during childhood vary as to the type of trauma the child may have suffered. However, the development of a child can be affected by trauma. Looking into the affects of trauma one can see how development may be affected as well as how cultural differences and spirituality may help the child cope with the affects. Thus, one must take a closer look at trauma during childhood. One of the types of trauma a child may endure is the divorce of his or her parents. Children from divorced homes often struggle in school and have difficulty adjusting. The child may feel as though he or she must choose a side, or even feel responsible for the parents divorcing (University of Phoenix, 2014). The stress of ongoing trauma in a high conflict divorce can affect the neurobiology of the development of the child’s brain. Moreover, some children exhibit signs of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when struggling with the trauma of divorce (University of Phoenix, 2014). Thus, the level of conflict within a divorce situation directly affects the level of stress or trauma the child may endure. Additionally, other types of trauma have damaging effects beyond PTSD. A child, who suffers from...
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...event such as a bombing, deaths, gunshots, war, etc. Soldiers who fight for our country face these traumatic events every day. For example, in the text, “Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD a Resource and Recovery Guide” by Cheryl Lawhorne and Don Philpott, it states, “The destructive force of war creates an atmosphere of chaos and compels service members to face the terror of unexpected injury, loss, and death. The combat environment (austere living conditions, heavy physical demands, sleep deprivation, periods of intense violence followed by unpredictable periods of relative inactivity, separation from loved ones, etc.) is itself a psychological stressor that may precipitate a wide range of emotional distress and/or psychiatric disorders.” (Lawhorne and Philpott 12)....
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...Disturbances Found in the Brain Due to Childhood Traumas. Emotional disturbances have such an impact to the brain that it can affect various important changes if that trauma continues. In the journal European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience by Ana Martin Blanco, et. al., discusses how the Hypothalamus Pituitary-Adrenal gland is an important component in patients with personality disorders. In the study conduct by the researchers for the journal was to analyze the dysfunction of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal gland and its effects of childhood trauma in a large sample of Dissociative Personality Disorder patients. The DID patients underwent a proper medical interview classifying them with a true diagnosis of...
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...I chose to summarize “AT Risk: Trauma and Academic Failure” written by Crosson-Tower (2017). The author describes how trauma affects children and how toxic stress can damage a child’s brain plus lead to developmental, physiological, and educational impairments. She mentions that dropout rates have been dropping since the 70’s except for special education children, low economic status children plus the minority. She also mentions those children are at more risk for undergoing trauma incidents in youth along with the introduction to violence plus being abused emotionally, sexually and physically. The quote I chose is “The research on disruptions in the functional and anatomical development of the brain as a result to trauma make the problem seem...
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...settling to its current moniker Posttraumatic syndrome disorder. Despite the many name changes one thing has remained constant and that is the condition causes suffering Over View Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is an anxiety disorder that is caused by exposure to a situation or environment that is violent or life threatening to an individual or others. Its symptoms include flashbacks, hyperarousal and avoidance. It was originally believed that PTSD represented a natural and normal response at the extreme end of a response continuum based on the severity of the trauma. This response is the flight or fight survival mechanism gone haywire. The,flight or fight reaction is meant to protect a person from harm. However, in PTSD, this reaction is compromised or damaged. As a result people who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger. Researchers have learned that this response to a trauma is not solely based on stressors but also on the factors unique to...
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...Trauma, Development, and Spirituality Clayton Newsome Dr. Pamela Todd Counseling 502 September 11, 2014 Introduction People can suffer from many different situations throughout their life time. Trauma is one effect that can cause a person to do things out of the ordinary. When a person suffers from trauma it can affect them for the rest of their life. In this essay I will discuss how trauma can affect a person through development as well as spiritually. Neural Development Trauma can affect a child’s neural development and will attack their fine motor skills in a way where it is hard for them to function. In young children, gross motor, fine motor, and cognitive development are intertwined processes related to the maturation timetables of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neurons are migrating, proliferating, and making more complex connections. Children become capable of more sophisticated communications with the production of neurotransmitters. Myelination, the sheathing of neurons in protective layers of fatty and protein substances, increases the rate of neuronal firing and facilitates faster, more complex signals between brain cells and from the brain to the rest of the body (Roehlkepartain, 2006). Children who are tested for ADHD are normally given a false reading, which causes a since of not know for sure how many children have the disorder. There are drug treatments for this type of disorder such as Ritalin or Dexadrine. However, some studies suggest...
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...Adolescent Cognitive Development After Trauma Raquel A. Figueroa Liberty University COUN 620-B02 Abstract In a generation of hopelessness, adolescents seek a purpose for their existence. They seek refugee from violence, abuse and maltreatment. The overwhelming pressure opens the door for instant gratification in drugs, alcohol, sexual activity, and fail to make appropriate adjustments in compromising circumstances. There is a correlation between traumatic experiences and adolescent cognitive development. A traumatic experience can alter an adolescent’s neural system and adversely affect the latter stages of brain development. Working with survivors of traumatic events requires an understanding of maladaptive behaviors, reactions and coping skills. Behavioral patterns emerge and become part of an adolescent’s personality. This paper will highlight the impact of traumatic experiences on adolescent cognitive development and their ability to foster an intrinsic knowledge of self. Maltreatment of adolescents has reached epidemic proportions within the United States. According to Bright (2008), “One in four children/adolescents experience at least one traumatic event before age 16” (p. 11). A study commissioned by Finkelhor, Ormrod, & Turner (2005) concluded the exposure to “physical abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence, community violence, and natural disasters is a common occurrence among children in the U.S.” (p. 314). Reports of...
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...Trauma, Development, and Spirituality According to the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers (AACRC), trauma is considered to be the result of occurrences of mental or physical injury such as sexual or physical abuse sexual abuse, seeing brutality, or natural tragedy (AACRC, 2014). But trauma is not limited to events per se; alternatively, trauma can also be brought about by occurrences of daily living that are emotional in nature and not quite as obvious. Traumatic stress can be evoked by trials surrounding relationships, physical issues, severe neglect, or by circumstances that overpower a person’s ability to adjust (American Association of Children’s Residential Centers, 2014). This essay will discuss how culture can influence traumatic experiences, the impact of trauma on neurobiological development, and how spiritual development can counter the effects of trauma. Cross Cultural View of Trauma Research conducted in Western countries has typically revealed a disproportionately large percentage of accounts of abuse of children among ethnic minority groups. However, mistreatment is not primarily connected to any particular ethnic group, but has been regarded as a global issue (World Health Organization [WHO], 2002 as cited by Cyr, Michel, & Dumais, 2013). The intricacy of examining child abuse from a culturally diverse viewpoint can be made clear by a number of components impeding the progress of awareness about this issue. Specifically, despite the fact...
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...ISSUE BRIEF November 2009 Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development What’s Inside: • How the Brain Develops This issue brief provides basic information on brain development and the effects of abuse and neglect on that development. The information is designed to help professionals understand the emotional, mental, and behavioral impact of early abuse and neglect in children who come to the attention of the child welfare system. • Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development • Implications for Practice and Policy • Summary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau Child Welfare Information Gateway Children’s Bureau/ACYF 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20024 800.394.3366 Email: info@childwelfare.gov www.childwelfare.gov Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development www.childwelfare.gov In recent years, there has been a surge of research into early brain development. New technologies, such as neuroimaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging or MRI), provide increased insight into how the brain develops and how early experiences affect that development. One area that has been receiving increasing research attention involves the effects of abuse and neglect on the developing brain, especially during infancy and early childhood. Much of this research is providing biological explanations for what practitioners...
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...More now than before, athletes are being extremely cautious when there is trauma to the brain. After multiple cases of poor treatment, parents and doctors are taking control of an epidemic of untreated concussions. As more studies advance, it is discovered that every case is different. The range of seriousness is created by severity, past experience with trauma, and how the patient heals. Concussions in sports can range in severity, and how they affect each individual over time depending on times of impact. A concussion can be defined as a mild traumatic brain injury caused by excessive impact to the head. The word concussion comes from the Latin word concutere, which means "to shake violently." The injury is caused by the brain moving forcefully back and forth. The brain is made up of soft tissue and protected by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. The rapid movement can cause chemical changes in the brain and can sometimes stretch and damage brain cells or nerves. Moreover, it’s a bruise on the brain that alters mental state. Things like car and bicycle accidents, falls while playing sports or at work, and fighting are some of the leading sources of concussions. When being examined by a doctor first the signs and symptoms will be evaluated, then the medical history will be under review, and finally...
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...Mental illness is a worldwide epidemic that affects one in five people around the world (News). Ask anyone and they most likely know someone with a mental illness or struggle with one themselves. The prevalence of these conditions is shocking and continues to rise on a daily basis. While researching this topic, one question stuck out the most: What is the main cause of mental illness? Scientists typically all agree that there is not one solution to this question, seeing as the topic at hand is a complex combination of factors. Everyone's brain is unique and handles situations differently, meaning that finding one cause for mental illness is a difficult search. Although there is not one cause for these conditions, we can reduce the options down...
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...According to Merriam-Webster, trauma is defined as a serious injury or wound to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent; a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes a person to have mental or emotional disturbances, usually for an extended period of time. There are many types of trauma that can affect a child’s development, specifically neural development. One pervasive form of trauma to children is Shaken Baby Syndrome. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a simple descriptive for a disturbing cluster of subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, traction type metaphyseal fractures, and retinal hemorrhage seen in children due to the act of violently shaking the child (Miehl, 2005). Shaken Baby Syndrome us an extremely vicious act of abuse that can result in numerous neurological, cognitive, and functional disabilities and deficits. In more severe cases, death is the result of Shaken Baby Syndrome. While there are many obvious and immediate symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome such as vomiting, lethargy, respiratory distress, seizure activity, decreased consciousness, increased intracranial pressure, and retinal hemorrhage; there are as many if not more permanent and long range ramifications (Miehl, 2005). Traumatic brain injuries that occur when the brain of the child is severely shaken inside the cranial cavity cause irreparable damage. Survivors of Shaken Baby Syndrome possess some degree of neurological and/or cognitive deficiency and exhibit seizure disorders, cerebral...
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...of research in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin. According to her book, with an increase in sports affiliated concussions among children, it has become necessary for practitioners to understand how to go about handling age appropriate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the concussions. It is also critical...
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...books main focus is about a story of riches to rags; going from king of the world to the lowly beggar. Underneath the main plot lies the book’s main themes of depression, loss of memory, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The main point of this essay is the misinterpretation, treatment, and our thoughts toward individuals suffering from amnesia, trauma, and depression. The themes researched for the novel “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart are depression, loss of memory, and PTSD. Information obtained after investigating these themes are,...
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...regulate bodily functions. When the body is exposed to a certain amount of pain the body goes into shock. This can be a life threatening situation or it can be the bodies’ response to the life threatening situation allowing a solders to keep fighting and things of that nature. If the damage the body may go into what is called a "comatose" condition. Where all nonessential function shuts down for repairs. This is due to the trauma that was experienced. Many of these actions are automated. This is because God has a system in the body to regulate the body. With that in mind PTSD is put into two different categories. They would be direct exposure and indirect exposure to an event. Direct events would be first hand experiences but the person. A point in time that the person felt significant risk of life and limb. An indirect traumatic event would be if an individual would witness a traumatic event. The mind has the same kind of defense mechanism. This is used to cope with severe mental trauma or mental stress. When a person goes through extremely powerful mental trauma that the mind cannot deal with the pain many things happen. One of those things is PTSD or post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This report will look at this disorder from a biblical point of view using the lives of many people. Dreams The dilemma is what PTSD victims deal with frequently. PTSD is a reaction to some kind of stressor but definition. “PTSD is a disorder that has to do with the experiencing, witnessing...
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