Questions and Answers
What is trauma?
According to Psychology Today, trauma is the experience of severe psychological distress following any terrible or life-threatening event. Sufferers may develop emotional disturbances such as extreme anxiety, anger, sadness, survivor’s guilt, or PTSD. They may experience ongoing problems with sleep or physical pain, encounter turbulence in their personal and professional relationships, and feel a diminished sense of self-worth due to the overwhelming amount of stress.
What is domestic, emotional, physical and sexual abuse?
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System:
- Domestic abuse: A pattern of coercive tactics that are used to gain and maintain power and control in an ongoing, familiar relationship. Generally, several forms of abuse, such as psychological, emotional, physical, sexual and/or economic, are used in combination. Abusers believe they are entitled to control how their victims think, feel and behave. This control extends to the entire household, and the behavior and parenting tactics of the abuser may harm children in the home.
- Physical and sexual violence may be a component of the abuse but some victims are controlled through intimidation, threats, emotional and psychological abuse and isolation - no physical abuse is necessary. In an abusive relationship, one party fears the other and attempts to comply with the other's wishes to avoid harm.
- Emotional abuse: Use of coercion, threats, insults, and other measures which control the victim and result in loss of self-esteem and in the victim believing she/he deserves the abuse.
- Physical Abuse: Use of physical force, which can include pushing, slapping, hitting, strangling, biting, kicking, isolating, use of weapons, etc.
Sexual Abuse: Any unwanted, coerced or inappropriate sexual contact.
What is Addiction Recovery?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Recovery is a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. There are four major dimensions that support recovery:
- HEALTHh ⁓ overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms and making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being.
- HOME ⁓ having a stable and safe place to live.
- PURPOSE ⁓ conducting meaningful daily activities and having the independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
- COMMNITY ⁓ having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
What is Mindfulness?
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D, who introduced mindfulness to modern medicine in 1997, mindfulness means:
"paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.
