Knock and a door shall be opened... Well, as I have been continuing to mull over the theme from the previous post (how to feel anything when you are used to numbing out), the clever universe worked through my facebook feed and led me to an article discussing this book: Childhood Disrupted - How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal. I promptly ordered the book on Amazon, and incredibly it was delivered just a few days later (even though I chose free shipping, lol..), in time for the long weekend! I have already read more than half of it, and am anxious to pass it on to my brother. He is currently dealing with chronic health issues with the help of a naturopath - thank goodness - and it has kind of raised the urgency of not letting ourselves simmer in toxicity anymore. I am hopeful about the testing he is undergoing, and the solutions that will be presented, but at the same time, it is the very thesis of artsciencespirit to look for the balance between all the elements, art-science-spirit, or mind-body-soul. This book presents what I believe may be a very important piece of the puzzle.
As mentioned previously, my health issues (mental and physical) stem back to high school or earlier. Looking back I think I was always an anxious child - but a quiet one, who desperately wished not to cause any trouble or draw unwanted attention to myself. Instead, I bottled up my feelings and suffered headaches from a very young age. At school I was extremely shy, wore slightly out-of-style hand me downs from distant cousins and neighbours, and always felt that life was a game I didnt quite know how to play (which was literally the case in gym class, a neverending source of torment). At home on the farm we were isolated, in an environment that I now believe was controlled by mental illness; at the time all we knew was that dad was angry all the time, and he and mom did not get along very well. Mom had moved here from another country to get married, thus leaving her entire support system behind. It was kind of a precarious situation from the get-go.
Our stories are mirrored in those featured in Childhood Disrupted. The book describes the correlation between a set of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and health problems developed later in life. It makes sense. What particularly drew me to the book was that it goes beyond explanation to how to find healing (the part of the book I have not read yet); and it states that it IS possible to rewire your brain, even when problems have been so long in the making. I believe this to be true. It is why I keep trying new herbs and diets (yes, that is my bag above, full of pills as always!), why I became trained as an art therapist, and why I maintain this website to share my experiences. Deep down, I truly do believe that healing is possible. It is just necessary to dig up all the puzzle pieces if you really are going to put them back together. While this notion is not entirely different from psychotherapy, this book is special in the direct links it illustrates between the past and our physical and psychological health. I recommend it, and will be sure to report back once I have finished reading :)
As mentioned previously, my health issues (mental and physical) stem back to high school or earlier. Looking back I think I was always an anxious child - but a quiet one, who desperately wished not to cause any trouble or draw unwanted attention to myself. Instead, I bottled up my feelings and suffered headaches from a very young age. At school I was extremely shy, wore slightly out-of-style hand me downs from distant cousins and neighbours, and always felt that life was a game I didnt quite know how to play (which was literally the case in gym class, a neverending source of torment). At home on the farm we were isolated, in an environment that I now believe was controlled by mental illness; at the time all we knew was that dad was angry all the time, and he and mom did not get along very well. Mom had moved here from another country to get married, thus leaving her entire support system behind. It was kind of a precarious situation from the get-go.
Our stories are mirrored in those featured in Childhood Disrupted. The book describes the correlation between a set of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and health problems developed later in life. It makes sense. What particularly drew me to the book was that it goes beyond explanation to how to find healing (the part of the book I have not read yet); and it states that it IS possible to rewire your brain, even when problems have been so long in the making. I believe this to be true. It is why I keep trying new herbs and diets (yes, that is my bag above, full of pills as always!), why I became trained as an art therapist, and why I maintain this website to share my experiences. Deep down, I truly do believe that healing is possible. It is just necessary to dig up all the puzzle pieces if you really are going to put them back together. While this notion is not entirely different from psychotherapy, this book is special in the direct links it illustrates between the past and our physical and psychological health. I recommend it, and will be sure to report back once I have finished reading :)
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