Children Who Get Hugs Tend to Become Happier Adults
I missed out on hugs and cuddles. My mother, who was mentally ill, did not display affection. In second grade, I walked home from school with a friend. I remember watching as she ran up her front steps. Her mother would be waiting for her at the door with a smile....
Kids Need Hugs
(The article below is based on an excerpt from my book, Crazy Was All I Ever Knew: The Impact of Maternal Mental Illness on Kids. I have used a pseudonym to protect the privacy of family members.) My mother, who was mentally ill, never hugged me, never caressed me,...
The Benefits and Consequences of Becoming Emotionally Intelligent
Emotional intelligence (EI) involves the ability to identify, understand, use, and manage your emotions. Having high emotional intelligence skills can help you communicate better, resolve conflicts, empathize with others, and reduce anxiety plus stress. Your emotional...
When Developmental Trauma Pulls You In.
Sometimes raising a child with developmental trauma feels like drowning. During the pandemic, the usual lifelines of educational and community support are decreased or absent, and many parents are left feeling suffocated and alone. Our son spent two years languishing...The Plight of Platitudes
As the sun rises here on the porch of the homeless shelter, the house’s cat ambles up beside me. I scratch and caress her head. Her silky black fur seems too soft for a cat. She purrs and nuzzles my hand. She also wants to be fed. If we traded places, would...
October is National Emotional Wellness (Awareness) Month
As the title suggests, October is the month in the United States when American citizens are challenged to consider their mental health. It is not a month to point fingers or experience self-loathing over seeming loss of control but rather to celebrate humanity’s...
The Cinderella Phenomenon: When One Child Is the Target of Abuse
As a child, I lived in dread that something would set my mother off and she’d fly into a violent rage, unleashing a torrent of physical abuse. There never was any reason for the abuse. There didn’t have to be. Something would invariably infuriate my mother. I don’t...Addiction Recovery: Why the Best Therapy is Trauma-Informed
Watching a loved one struggle with any kind of substance dependence fills many of us with worry, confusion, and questions. What can we do? Understanding trauma’s role in addiction will help more of us lead the change in the attitude we need. If the struggle with drug...