Michael Roth is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Overcoming Trauma". You can find complete information on Michael Roth and his products by visiting Transforming Trauma.
This letter was written in response to a bogus intervention, as chronicled in the post "The Betrayal."
What I did to deal with my anger is written in the post "Anger Contract."
My sponsor in one of the 12 step programs, after finding out the details of the night the group took me to ... Views: 1507
This Anger Contract was my response to the events chronicled in my previous post, "The Betrayal." A bogus Intervention had been done to me, and had forced me to get in touch with deep anger that I had been trying to release for several years. I knew I needed to do something radical to handle ... Views: 4286
My next several blog posts are all related to the same topic. They deal with something that happened to me in July of 1988. My Dad had died the previous Thanksgiving, and I was still in the grief process over that loss. As well, I was still involved with a 12 step program for people who had ... Views: 1947
For many years, I would have told you that yes, there was drinking in my house while I was growing up, but I got out just fine, and it didn’t really affect me. Then when I was in my early ‘30s, I started to see signs that such was not the case.
I worked for a time with a prison ministry, ... Views: 2401
(Written August 8, 1990)
It was June of 1969. I had just come home from my freshman year at Texas Tech. I had not declared a major except for General Studies. I liked my psychology and sociology courses, and thought about going that direction for a major.
We lived in Fort Worth, and ... Views: 2162
Two individuals are robbed at gunpoint. One experiences overwhelming helplessness and has a hard month. But by the end of that time, he has pretty much resolved and integrated the incident into his life. The other person experiences intense rage. Years later, she is still struggling with the ... Views: 1838
If you have had more than your fair share of accidents and injuries lately, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard, is the book you should be reading.
According to a survey by the National Safety Council, the number of unintentional injury deaths in America has been ... Views: 1420
After his hernia surgery in 2001, James Tudor of Los Angeles had an irrational feeling that he was getting old and losing his vigor even though he was only 24. He couldn't figure out what was going on. After getting Dianetics counseling, he was surprised to discover that the nurse had teased the ... Views: 1582
What is post traumatic stress disorder?
At some stage in your life you are likely to experience or witness a traumatic event or know someone who has. Research indicates that 65% of men and 50% of women are exposed to trauma during their lifetime.
Traumatic events vary. They can occur ... Views: 2117
The approach and actual anniversary day of the death of someone loved and lost, brings to the surface an unsettling sea of emotions. As a therapist and life coach who provides bereavement and grief counseling, and someone who has experienced death at an early age, understanding grieving and loss ... Views: 4154
Mindfulness is that quality of conscious awareness of whatever arises in our present experience in which there is an attitude of engaged-presence.
Mindfulness is both very simple and very profound, and to really benefit from its remarkable powers you have to approach the subject with a ... Views: 1521
Written October 17, 1988
I was out in the back yard shooting baskets with some of the boys from the neighborhood. It was a crisp, sunny fall afternoon, sweatshirt weather, and I was feeling great about life. I had finally gotten the knack of the jump shot, and was really proud of ... Views: 2083
(Written September 20, 1988)
We were in a house trailer just outside the Lindreth trading post, in northwest New Mexico. There were six of us on the hunt that year: My Dad and I; Morris - Dad's best friend, and his son Brad; Don - who owned the trailer and was to be our guide, and his son ... Views: 1939
The number of children who suffer from panic attacks is on the rise, causing concern for parents. While most adults wouldn't worry about the risks of taking anxiety medication, many parents would prefer natural cures for panic attacks, when it comes down to their children. CBT is widely regarded ... Views: 1399
Two decades ago we became aware of the plight of women and children who were being trafficked in the Far East. Then reports began to trickle into our consciousness of Eastern European women being tricked by ads for jobs in foreign countries, only to find themselves trafficked and forced into ... Views: 1421
I received this question from someone who had just read my book, Freedom’s Just Another Word, where I confront some pretty bad demons from my past:
How did you overcome your fear of dealing with all the pain coming to the surface? I have not been able to conquer this fear I have of ... Views: 2398
I spent a lot of time walking around Houston in the middle '80s with many of the symptoms of PTSD, and didn't know it. I was having flashbacks - of occurrences I didn't remember. I felt like the man in the Bourne Identity with amnesia, who was getting glimpses of his past - a past he could not ... Views: 3263
For the last two years I've been working to overcome the effects of damage done by my Grandmother, who we all called Mamaw. When I was 8 years old, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said a famous writer, and she was appalled, and said "If you are a famous writer, they'll call ... Views: 1929
A good friend emailed me a while back and asked about my experience of the "inner child" on my road to healing. My inner child, who I called Little Danny, was an integral part of the book I had written, "Freedom's Just Another Word." My friend wondered if my experience of that inner child had ... Views: 1635
Meditation has been around for thousands of years and there are many different approaches. The most common forms of meditation usually involves focusing on a particular object, such as a word mantra, as in Transcendental Meditation; a divine image as in some forms of Tibetan Buddhist meditation; ... Views: 1782
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental and emotional condition that can develop following a traumatic event so overwhelming and frightening that the mind and body are in shock. Soldiers in military combat, natural disasters, kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse or living in an alcoholic home… to ... Views: 3534
The subject of child abuse has been around for many years, but for some reason only until the last few years has it been recognized as a real problem. Some forms of child abuse that lead to problems later in life are physical, emotional, verbal, incest, etc. When someone is abused as a young ... Views: 2099
All happy families resemble one another; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own fashion.” From Anna Karenia by Leo Talstoy
Mental illness in a family may be passed down from one generation to another. It can be hereditary or acquired. It may come from stress, brain injury, traumatic ... Views: 1398
I was invited into the local homeless shelter, to introduce EFT to a group of women there. It was quite an experience, something I’d like to share.
On my way to the homeless shelter I started to think about how I would best start out to get the attention of those women. They all live under ... Views: 2207
The conscious and the subconscious mind. What are they and why do we have them? The word conscious by definition is the awareness of one's own environment,sensations and thoughts. But what is the subconscious? It is the store house of our lives. It is the part of the mind that files our ... Views: 3573
Newcomers to EFT soon realise, as more experienced practitioners have before them, the wonderful results available when using The Movie Technique. As you watch Gary Craig work with clients throughout the DVD sets, we rarely witness a session that does not contain a wonderful example of its ... Views: 3759
One might think that this article is targeted at spiritual seekers, but you would be wrong. What do I mean when I say matter is not solid, time is not linear and death is not the end, and what does this have to do with your life, business and health? If you have the time, confidence, courage and ... Views: 4496
A woman was shopping when an adorable little statue caught her eye. It was fun, and she had to have it! Once at home, she examined the purchase more closely and realized it was a metaphor for her life. She had bought a “Woo” doll, and the attached tag read:
“The Woo is a benevolent force ... Views: 1713
The single major cause of emotional suffering and stress in our lives comes from the accumulated habitual emotional reactions to life events that we acquire through unconscious learning. We become victims of recurrent negative thoughts and patterns of emotional reactivity that operate ... Views: 1884
No one can know the depth of despair to which a person may sink upon contemplation of suicide. Possibly, the black hole in which one finds him/herself gets deeper and darker as the days go by. Soon, even the smallest sliver of light is blocked from view. And then -- instead of being frightening ... Views: 5131
Of all your achievements, what are you most proud of?
That was what a reporter wanted to know while she interviewed me for a newspaper feature. All the major accomplishments I've achieved in my twenty-five years swam through my head at lightning speed. Which is my proudest achievement?
I ... Views: 5396
Trauma and the fight/flight response
To become traumatised, all that needs to happen is to endure an event during which we feel powerless, whilst simultaneously having a threat to our survival.
Often, during these events, we also feel isolated and we do ... Views: 2481
In expressive arts therapy, we are always working in the present. The here and now is the only real medium we have to work with, the only place where thoughts, feelings, and behaviors occur.
This may seem strange, especially if you are dealing with past traumatic or childhood issues. But ... Views: 1420
When we are faced with personal and/or professional challenges, it can be difficult not to jump to the “what if’s” of the future or relive the “should have’s” of the past.
When you focus on being here and now, you are living by the invitation of what each moment has to offer.
Some ... Views: 1225
A lot of survivors of sexual and physical abuse feel they need to confront someone about it. Face down the perpetrator and tell him (usually him) – tell him what? That what he did was wrong. That it was hurtful and did substantial harm.
I imagine it could amazingly empowering to do that. ... Views: 1648
I have been pregnant twice... In one year... For nine weeks each time... Had everything gone according to plan, I could have been halfway through a pregnancy and well on my way to a baby. Unfortunately, something went wrong in both cases, and the fetus died sometime between weeks six and ... Views: 2558
Why do people have to suffer? Do some people simply have bad luck or is there a good reason why we suffer? Why do we all get sick, grow old, and die? And is all suffering really bad, or is it actually a blessing in disguise, somehow?
Here, I will outline some of the reasons why we ... Views: 9070
Trust in therapy only happens at step one, with the client's willingness to admit that there is a problem and by having the courage to consciously work on it. The ‘HOW’ in therapy are indeed HONESTY, OPENNESS and WILLINGNESS!
As the client begins to open themselves up in the therapeutic ... Views: 1962
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-shure/the-tyranny-of-perfection_b_149359.html
Posted: December 10, 2008
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of hearing Jane Fonda speak to 700 psychotherapists at a conference sponsored by the Renfrew Center Foundation. This venue, filled with experts in ... Views: 1786
Hi there everyone!!
I remember sitting in a subway car on my way home from grade nine. I had an 88% average and I was making good money at my job, yet I was depressed out of my mind. I wasn't in a rush to get home -- I would stay on the subway for hours, not really caring about the day, ... Views: 5316
In years of using hypnosis in working with war veterans I have been told by veterans themselves that my work has helped to heal the physical and emotional scars of war far better than traditional counseling, cognitive therapies, and pharmaceutical drugs combined. In this article I will describe ... Views: 2457
Reactions to trauma follow a cyclical and often perpetual pattern, flowing from intrusive and arousal to avoidance reactions. Intrusive and arousal reactions bring the traumatic experience into one’s awareness. But being exposed to elements of the trauma is frightening, overwhelming, terrifying ... Views: 7827
Always trying to learn whatever I can about panic attacks, and always thinking outside of the box, I came upon some interesting information regarding the potential role of prenatal and perinatal happenings in the generation of panic. It’s pretty heady stuff, and I wanted to share it with ... Views: 1573
I wanted to share one of my patient’s stories with you to illustrate the potential of 5 Element Acupuncture in healing the mind and spirit after mental and physical trauma. I asked “Kathy” if I could use her story because it illustrates almost the complete array of both the illnesses of the ... Views: 6724
Head trauma or also known as concussion is one way in which you can experience memory loss and this is something to not be taken lightly. Now before we discuss the connection between memory loss and head injury, we need to understand better what happens when you do experience head trauma. The ... Views: 1768
WHAT IS TRAUMA?
Let's start by first discussing trauma. It is very misunderstood therefor rarely healed correctly. Most have the perception that trauma is only causes by a major event or huge automobile accident. These are in fact traumatic events. But what gets overlooked are the less ... Views: 1441
Meditation: Connecting Above Pain
Meditation is a time-honoured relaxation technique that has been used successfully in Eastern cultures for centuries to alleviate stress and focus the mind. This technique has recently gained popularity in Australia, England and the United States as millions ... Views: 1519
Throughout my childhood I received consistent messages that demonstrated the power of a dysfunctional family. The disease of my parents and abusers robbed me of my boundaries and individuality – the right to have a self.
Remembering back now, through the years of oppression and sexual abuse, ... Views: 1566
The suggestions in this section, once again, are not substitutes for professional psychiatric care. However, many people have found self-help effective for relieving the stress of trauma and taking control of themselves. Whether you choose to seek professional help or embark on a healing path ... Views: 1829
All of us have had painful life experiences in the past. If we are lucky, we can just shake them off and get on with our lives. But sometimes experiences of trauma and loss can affect us so deeply that months and even years later; we still feel the impact in our daily lives. The aftermath of ... Views: 1584