November has been extremely busy! At the start of the month, I hosted my International Transport Training in London, helping experts understand how to transport individuals to and between treatment centers in a trauma-informed, compassionate way. Thank you to all of the amazing attendees!
I was also lucky enough to attend and speak at the wonderful Lee Fitzgerald's 12th Annual London Workshop this month. I spoke on the panel titled, "The Strength of Self-Care in Health Care," with three other talented people and met so many inspiring people at the event.
To top it all off, we had Thanksgiving back in the US. I am thankful for so many amazing things: my family, my friends, my team, my animals, and all of the opportunities afforded to me in life. I am incredibly thankful for all the wonderful events this month and for all of the people I met at them. I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving and that you are looking forward to the rest of the holiday season!
Monthly Blog Round-Up
The following is a round-up of our monthly blogs in case you missed any on our social media pages.
Gina Ayres was an inspiration to so many people, and we can all learn from her example. Whenever I was with her, I saw how she put others before herself–from the way she spoke about Tony and her daughters to the extra effort she put into helping those around her. Her humor and laughter were contagious and defused even the tensest of moments. ⠀⠀
She worked hard on the front lines, and when she wasn’t on the ambulance, she helped those struggling with severe Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder get the help they needed.
Eating disorders can affect the whole family, causing a great deal of stress and pain. Taking a family systems approach to treatment can be empowering for everyone affected. Eating disorders are serious psychiatric illnesses with high morbidity and mortality rates. Early intervention and a supportive, healthy family environment are key to recovery. Developed by Dr. Murray Bowen, the theory behind a family systems approach asserts that unrest and tension within the family unit can make emotional connections stressful and fraught with difficulty.
Narcissism, a term often thrown around in the media, is being used more frequently by the general public to describe people who appear selfish and egocentric. In fact, narcissism is a lot more complex than many of us realize, and signs and causes of this personality style span far beyond selfishness.
As rates of narcissism continue to increase among Western youth, contributing to increased rates of violence, mental health disorders, and drug abuse, it is important to explore the truth about narcissism in detail to understand the signs and causes.
A tweet by the New York Post declaring that “heroin chic is back” caused a great deal of backlash earlier this month, with body positivity influencers highlighting the dangerous consequences of this 90s and 00s trend. The tweet came amid increasing numbers of very thin models walking the runway during New York Fashion Week and a revival of trademark styles from the era, such as bucket hats, low rise cargo pants, and halter neck tops. While fashion and styles inevitably evolve, expecting women’s bodies to change with them will continue to drive up rates of disordered eating.
The infant brain is profoundly influenced by the attachment bond, and understanding your attachment style can offer vital clues about the root of certain issues within a relationship. Living with a partner who has an anxious attachment style can be particularly difficult as your loved one may appear clingy and attention seeking then become dismissive. This is likely because they experienced a similar form of attention from their primary caretaker and were not always made to feel safe and understood as an infant.
