We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics WE NEED A HERO....WE NEED BARACK OBAMA...YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!

This country needs change and it needs to be soon. People are overwhelmed, you might ask what does that have to do with this blog? Programs are being cut to the bone miminal people cant get the help they need, their pain has to be put on hold because our government was taken over by individuals that didnt respect the seats they were elected to by the peoples' instead they filled their pockets with the money that was for america programs. They hired their family and friends and filled their pockets with that money, and now those monies were mismanaged and those seats became important again because they were now losing the life of being healthy, not stressing over if they need to see a doctor. They dont have to worry about getting their utilities shut off or being able to put gas in the the tank for work, or therapy appointments or medications that you have to have but then have to choose which ones you can do without until you can figure out how you can get the money to get the ones that your docotor said you needed to be healthy and stable and able to feel happiness. That affects me, you and this nation of people that have been stressed out with programs being cut, food prices rising and heating cost at it highest. It affects us becuase less police will be on the streets because the government now has to save money this will mean more cases on our social services systems and less money to help domestic viloence, to help child abuse and longer times between the time the abuse takes place and the time it gets attention. Can the United States of Amercia face the conesquences when these services are lost. We need to be able without distraction injected, utter these three words freely YES WE CAN, YES WE CAN ....PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING WORDS PLEASE JOIN A COMMON MAN WHO WILL LEAD US IN HEALING. THIS IS THE TIME THAT OUR NATION HAS TO RISE AND JOIN TOGETHER AS ONE NATION UNDER GOD indivisible, with liberty and justice for all....VOTE THIS NOVEMEBER AND VOTE FOR WHAT YOU WANT THIS COUNTRY TO BECOME IT'S TIME TO WRITE THAT SECOND CHAPTER....

Will I Am Yes We Can
Lyrics Featuring: John Legend Lyrics, Scarlett Johansson Lyrics, Kate Walsh

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom. Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes we can. It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land. Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can. We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change. (We want change.) We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics…they will only grow louder and more dissonant ……….. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea: Yes We Can.
http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm

http://www.metrolyrics.com/yes-we-can-lyrics-will-i-am.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY&feature=related

The Freedom Writers Diary: A Book Review

The Freedom Writers Diary: A Book Review

In 1999 a miraculous story was told by Erin Gruwell and her English classes from Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. The idea for the story came from the experiences of these inner-city students as they realized the power of the written word and its healing nature. Gruwell was a young, new English teacher and was given the students that no other teacher wanted. She never blinked and started trying to make a difference in their lives. She came from an upper class family and went to all the best schools as she grew up not too far from the world of her students. Her students, on the other hand, lived in gang-infested areas where the family structure was less than desirable.

The idea of making a book of her students' diary entries came to fruition about a year into her time at Wilson High School. Her students were opening up to her in the form of their diaries and the subjects they were writing about were frighteningly personal. Many of her students wrote about the sexual abuse they endured and many of the stories revolved around relatives as abusers. Gruwell had always thought stories like these came from far away places, but now her students that she had grown so close to were relaying these horror stories. She knew she had the responsibility to make their lives better and the Freedom Writers project was the perfect outlet for them and her.

The Freedom Writers is a takeoff from the Freedom Riders in the 1960s that brought together white and black people together to fight racism. They were inspired by Rosa Parks and began riding buses together from Washington D.C. to the Deep South. Gruwell's students were so inspired by this story that they were compelled to carry on the name as they began writing. The classes were as diverse as the buses and the students knew that their shared experiences bound them together.

The recurring theme of child abuse was one that kept coming up in the diary entries and the students that wrote so freely about their experiences began to enjoy a cathartic process. As you read their entries you don't know their names or what they look like, and that doesn't matter. Their identities were protected but you connect with each student on such a personal level that names would just be labels. It's their story that you need to know and it's amazing that a group of high school students that were never given much of a shot to excel in anything have come together to produce this wonderful book.




By-line:

This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of nursing schools in CA. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com

50 Fun Ways to Maximize Your Brain Fitness

Nursing School Search
50 Fun Ways to Maximize Your Brain Fitness
July 14th, 2008
By Christina Laun
While working out and eating right are key parts of being fit and living a long and healthy life, what many people fail to think about is the health of their brains, the organ running the whole show. Your brain needs to get a workout too in order to keep itself in tip top shape and keep you mentally healthy for the rest of your life. Here are some ways that you can give your brain a challenge and have fun at the same time.
Fitness
Get your brain in shape while you get the rest of your body fit as well.
Take your dog for a walk. Don’t take your usual route, however. Try going down a block you’re unfamiliar with, stopping to talk to others along the way, challenging yourself to name the birds you see or anything else that helps get you moving and thinking.
Go for a jog. Running helps to boost levels of oxygen in your brain and helps your body to produce more endorphins, which will make you feel energized and happier, and what brain doesn’t love that?
Play a sport. Playing a sport not only gets you up and running around but forces you to think on your feet (literally) and make snap decisions of where to run or throw the ball, keeping both mind and body in shape.
Dance. Dancing is a fun way to get some exercise. Try learning a new dance to challenge your brain to remember the steps or find a partner for some dance floor socializing.
Throw a ball around. Working on improving a sensory-guided movement like throwing and catching a ball can improve your brain’s visual, tactile and hand-eye coordination responses and keep them sharp well into old age.
Diet
Many foods have a big impact on your brain, so try these tasty dishes to improve your mental abilities.
Eat a variety of foods. Cooking yourself a rainbow of different foods can help keep your brain healthy for years to come. A varied diet provides numerous vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are needed to keep your brain in top shape.
Make some blueberry pancakes. Or just enjoy the blueberries by themselves. Either way, these brain boosting berries can have a big impact on your mind. Studies have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of brain impairing conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, as well as improving the learning capacity and motor skills of older test subjects.
Drink pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice isn’t only a delicious treat — it can also help keep your brain up and running smoothly. It contains loads of antioxidants which protect the brain from the damage of free radicals.
Have some sweet potatoes. Whether you enjoy them in a pie, as fries, or in any other form, sweet potatoes can be a great brain boosting food. These tubers, like carrots and spinach contain beta carotene which has been shown to improve brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Drink water. Refreshing yourself with a cold glass of water can be a great and fulfilling way to keep your brain at its best. Like all organs in your body, the brain needs water to function properly, so keeping it hydrated is key.
Enjoy some guacamole. Eating avocados can be a great way to improve your brain health, as they contain monounsaturated fats which improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. Hypertension is a risk factor for a decline in mental abilities, so any foods that lower this risk should help you out.
Brew a cup of tea. Two to three cups a day of freshly brewed tea, whether hot or iced, can help enhance your memory and improve your mood and focus. Tea contains contains caffeine which when used in small amounts can be a great way to boost your brain power.
Eat breakfast. A healthy breakfast that is. Eating cereals or toasts that contain whole grains can give you a great morning boost. They help keep your whole body healthy, especially your heart, which is incredibly important to keep blood and oxygen pumping to your brain.
Eat dark chocolate. Indulge your chocolate cravings and improve your brain health by eating some tasty dark chocolate. Chocolate triggers the systems in your brain that pump dopamine. These systems enable learning and memory, and having a bit of chocolate can boost these, keeping your brain fit and happy.
Get Out
Don’t just sit around the house, get out and try these fun ways to keep your brain in shape.
Visit a museum. A visit to a local museum can be a great way to challenge your brain and have a good time. Try challenging yourself to remember everything you saw and relate it to a friend or in a journal later on. Activities that force the brain to receive, remember and think hard help prevent mental decline and improve brain function.
Memorize a song. Listening to music is not only something that’s enjoyable — it can also be a way to work out your brain. Choose a song you don’t know and work at memorizing the lyrics. Focusing on listening to the song will boost the levels of acetylcholine in your brain, improving your memory abilities.
Go exploring. There are likely places in your own community or neighborhood that you haven’t fully explored. Seeing new things can be a great way to help your mind think about new things, and it can be a fun way to spend an afternoon so long as you don’t get lost.
Take a trip. Experiencing new cultures, trying new foods and seeing historical places engages many parts of the brain and keeps it active and sharp, especially if you’re attempting to speak a foreign language on your trip.
Play with a pet. Playing with a pet can make you happy, get you moving and help ease feelings of loneliness and unhappiness. A happy mind is a healthy one.
Meet up with friends. Social interaction forms a big part of long term brain health. Those with weak social relationships have been shown in studies to have higher incidences of mental illnesses than those who maintain close social bonds.
Go see something funny. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Cognitively complex humor forces you to think and makes you happy, allowing you to have fun and pump up your brain power at the same time.
Keep in touch with friends and family. Humans are social animals, and we need social interactions to help keep us mentally healthy. Talking with family and friends, especially those that provide mental stimulation and discussion, can be a great way to form a strong social network that can help keep you healthy for a long time.
Games and Hobbies
There’s no excuse to be bored with so many brain worthy games and hobbies out there to pursue.
Play a video game. While it may not seem like much of a challenge, playing certain video games can actually be good for your mental health. Choose games that require strategy or problem solving or check out some that are designed specifically to challenge your brain.
Play a board or card game. Whether you challenge a kid to game of checkers or play poker with your friends, these kind of games are great for the brain. They challenge your memory and test your math and logic skills.
Play pool. Pick up a pool cue and get to playing a game to improve your brain health. Players must think ahead to their next moves, strategize and concentrate in order to win, giving the brain a quick and fun workout.
Get on the greens. Golf not only gets your body moving but also allows you to engage socially with others. It also can improve mind-body coordination and uses brain power to plan shots and make decisions.
Do a jigsaw puzzle. Puzzles are a fun and challenging way to get your brain working. You will have to think ahead, see things conceptually, and analyze things visually. Get additional benefits by working on the puzzle with a friend.
Do a crossword. Crossword puzzles can help to boost your recall skills while improving your cognitive abilities and creative thinking. Plus, you’ll feel great when you finish a puzzle.
Build a model. Or if you’re not into building models, choose another activity like jewelry making or photography that requires close concentration and understanding of the process of construction. Focusing on the task can engage the brain and can also be a lot of fun.
Pursue a hobby. No matter what you’re into, whether it’s cars or gardening, pursuing a hobby can be a great deal of fun. It can also be a wonderful way to work your brain. Study up on new aspects of your hobby, concentrate on a certain task or meet with others who share your interests to get the most brain work out of your hobby.
Lifelong Learning
Keep your brain busy throughout your life with these learning opportunities.
Learn to play a musical instrument. Or just play one you already know how to play. Music can be very challenging to the brain as it recalls how to play the instrument, read music and keep up with the tempo of the song.
Read a book. Whether you read fluff or classic literature, reading a book can be a great and fun way to boost your mental abilities. Reading helps you exercise your cognitive skills and increases your vocabulary, not to mention providing a great way to relax.
Watch an art film. Watching a movie that requires your full concentration to understand can be a great way to engage your brain while learning more about art and culture. Read literature about the film after you’ve seen it and think about your own responses to it to further boost the mental benefits.
Debate. A friendly debate over the pros and cons of an issue can be a great way to keep you thinking on your feet as well as improving your logic and creativity. You’ll also get the benefits of interacting socially with someone, whether it be a friend or a coworker.
Create mind maps. Sometimes laying out your ideas on paper can be a great way to get your brain up and moving and out of a mental rut. Force yourself to connect ideas and to think outside the box when brainstorming.
Sign up for a daily. Whether you get a daily newsletter or just sign up for a word of the day in your inbox, this daily mental stimulation will help boost your memory, increase your mental stimulation and if nothing else help you sound smarter in conversation.
Take a class. Learning something new can be a great way to challenge your brain and force it to think in new ways. Whether it’s learning about what wine to have with dinner or learning how to do roundhouse kicks, classes will force your brain to retain new information and assimilate new ideas and concepts.
Learn a new language. While not everyone considers learning a language fun, it can be a great way to give your brain one heck of a workout. Acquiring a new language will help keep your brain flexible and your memory and recall skills sharp. Plus, it can be a great skill to have on your next vacation.
Relax
Stress can have an incredibly negative impact on the brain, so try these tips to relax.
Meditate. Meditation helps to focus the brain and helps reduce the harmful effects of too much stress. Best of all, you can do it anywhere.
Sleep in. Getting a few extra hours of sleep if you’ve stayed up late can help rejuvenate you and improve your mental abilities. So enjoy resting just a little bit longer on Saturday mornings.
Do yoga. Yoga can be a great workout for your body, but it can also give your mind a chance to relax and recover from stress. Try taking a class or doing yoga at home to calm your mind and train it to concentrate on breathing and movements rather than worries.
Express your spirituality. Studies have shown the embracing a faith or spiritual belief, no matter what that may be, can help reduce stress and can have many mental benefits.
Try tai chi. Tai Chi can be a great way to get your body moving but also to relax and force your mind to concentrate on each movement in turn.
Take a nap. If you’re feeling run down and mentally numb, a quick nap may be just what you need. Even just 20 minutes of sleep can leave you refreshed, physically and mentally.
Challenge Yourself
Make your brain workouts a personal challenge with these suggestions.
Use your peripheral vision. Next time you’re waiting for the bus or hanging out at a cafe, try this mental exercise. Look straight ahead and note everything you can see both in front of you and in your peripheral vision. Challenge yourself to recall everything and write it down. This will force you to use your memory and boost the levels of acetylcholine, a chemical essential to focus and memory.
Turn down the TV. Turn down your TV so that you can barely hear what is being said, and challenge yourself to listen intently to what is going on. this intense focus will challenge your brain, and it can also help improve your listening abilities.
Take it up a notch. Take an activity you already do to work your brain like doing a crossword puzzle or a sudoku and take it up a notch. See if you can complete it faster or more thoroughly than you were able to do before.
Try using your other hand. Most people can only use one of their hands with any degree of coordination, so make a game of using your other hand to do things like write, draw and do small tasks. This is a huge challenge for your brain as it adapts to using a part of your body differently than it’s used to.
Combine activities. Instead of just taking a morning jog, why not take a morning jog while listening to an audio book? Combining activities forces your brain to work at doing more in the same amount of time, giving you a great mental and physical workout.
Break your patterns. If you find yourself doing the same things, day after day, it may be time for a change. Brain health depends on novelty and the acquisition of new or different information, so change up your routines now and then to keep your brain on its figurative toes.
Categories: Health and Wellness, Nursing Resources -- Trackback

Archives
July 2008
Categories
Diet and Nutrition
Health and Wellness
Nursing Resources
Nursing Schools
Home Search by School Search by State Our Blog Site Map Contact Us
Copyright © 2008 Nursing School Search
http://www.nursingschoolsearch.com/blog/2008/07/50-fun-ways-to-maximize-your-brain-fitness/

Lavender Power

Mary J Blige Good Woman Down Our Lavender Anthem I've had enough I'm leaving, healing and reaching back and helping my sisters.

Lavender Power is about the synergy between phenomenal women working together to end the abuse of violence & sex & heal.
Lavender Power is many different women and many different things. We have lavender sisters all over the country accomplishing whatever is the next level in their growth through our internet network and weekly eMags to keep you connected.

http://www.freewebs.com/mypainfulsmiles/lavenderanthem.htm

We Wear Lavender Bracelets

Go to the website and get your braclet today!!!!!!!! United we stand divided it keeps happening to the future generations.


To receive your
Lavender Braceletand our eMagsI am really honored to be a part of this group.Thank you so much. It is actually exactly what I need right now at this point in my healing. Sarah

http://www.freewebs.com/mypainfulsmiles/index.htm

Child sexual abuse does exist today just as much as it did when I was sexually abused

WE must stand up shout out and start changing our laws. What has happened today with the death of a 12 year old is horrible and should never happen to any child. WE must prevent this from happening again. What can we do? Please read here and continue to vote and educate your children our children of tomorrow so they never have to go through the torment of what us as survivors have had to go through. Now there are places, groups, hotlines no one has to be alone REACH OUT get help or help somone you know, this disease has to be stopped!!!!!!

Great Moments in CSA History April 20, 2004Alison Arngrim speaks in front of California Senate Alison Arngrim, a powerful international speaker who is best known to viewers world-wide for her portrayal of the incredibly nasty Nellie Olson on the much loved, long running hit television series Little House On The Prairie. Alison, a sexual abuse survivor herself, testified before the California Senate regarding the critical importance of closing the incest exception loophole that decriminalized rapes when the perpetrators of those rapes were close family members of the victims. The following is an excerpt from her moving testimony: "The pressure placed upon those of us who have been sexually victimized by our own families to 'just shut up and take it', is almost too horrifying to describe. So shut up and take it we did. After all, they told us it was 'for our own good'.So, I apologize that it has taken us quite so long to get up off of the floor and stand up on our hind legs and speak like human beings, but I promise you, we will continue to stand up straight from here on in. We who have been raped by our own flesh and blood will no longer tolerate being treated as someone’s 'personal problem', 'a private matter', or as the 'acceptable collateral damage' of some misguided therapeutic experiment.Nor will we be treated as 'second class citizens' in the courtroom. We are not statistics. We are not 'therapeutic constructs'. We are human beings, we are registered voters and as of April 20, 2004, we have had enough."
http://www.freewebs.com/mypainfulsmiles/hallofsuccessors.htm

We must stop this!!!!!

BURLINGTON, Vt. — The body of a missing 12-year-old whose uncle allegedly planned to force her into a sex ring the day she disappeared was found Wednesday in Randolph, not far from his house.


http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn

Boo Boo Austin Memories

3 am

History Of X Mdma

The History of X MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, beans, rolls, or just plain X. This drug has a long history, which began almost 90 years ago. In 1912 Merck, a German pharmaceutical company, first synthesized MDMA (Erowid). MDMA was then patented in 1913 or maybe 1914 (patent #274.350) by the same German company supposedly to be sold as a diet pill (The Invention). The patent has no mention of any intended uses of the drug. There are other urban legends associated with Ecstasy, such as in 1953 the US Army tested MDMA as a possible truth serum, but there is no evidence for this (Saunders). “The father of MDMA – or ‘stepfather’ as he describes himself- is Alexander Shulgin (Saunders).” This man is responsible for the modern research of MDMA. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, Shulgin then received a research job with Dow Chemicals (The Invention).

http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/ad2/arn248.shtml

A study undertaken at the University of Navarra relates the neural damage provoked by Ecstasy with the ambient temperature at which it is consumed

There exists a direct relationship between the consumption of MDMA, or Ecstasy, at a high ambient temperature and an increase in the neural damage which this drug provokes. This was the conclusion of the research carried out by Beatriz Go�i at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra.These results form part of her doctoral dissertation, entitled "A Study of the Neurotoxicity Mechanism of 3.4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA or 'Ecstasy') after its Administration in Rats: New Responses to Old Questions." By means of this study, the researcher was able to relate for the first time the body temperature of the user with a higher metabolism of this substance. There are two factors which, when they co-occurcan produce malignant hyperthermia, a disorder which can sometimes be fatal.

http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/32009/A_study_undertaken_at_the_University_of_Navarra_relates_the_neural_damage_provoked_by_Ecstasy_with_the_ambient_temperature_at_which_it_is_consumed.html

PTSD & Katrina Survivors

Ptsd Part 2

Ptsd at its finest its a shame that schools dont help children Please watch both video's it will shock and anger you Part 1

Feb 20.08 lunar eclipse at 7:55 pm est.

Question for the Presidental Candidates concerning research of PTSD drugs such as MDMA

You decide 2008

http://www.youdecide2008.com/

What do you think of the new MDMA drug

I have been doing some research lately on this new ptsd drug MDMA. First I was totally opposed so further reading was required and I am still trying to decide if I am for it or against it. I am not sure if the armed services will provide the training and close following that is required to use this drug. What do my readers think? I think it is a good question for the candidates running for president, Will they back the research and ensure they monies and programs are there even if it means going to the private sector and training them to administer treatments until the soldiers are healed or can maintain in main stream. I think I will see if I can send this to the debate thursday night. I still have to do a lot more research before I can make a committment to back this policy. I have added at the bottom the bill that is being sent through the proper channels for research and solutions to the overwhelming cases of ptsd.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h3256/show

The Peace Drug

Post-traumatic stress disorder had destroyed Donna Kilgore's life. Then experimental therapy with MDMA, a psychedelic drug better known as ecstasy, showed her a way out. Was it a fluke -- or the future?By Tom ShroderPublished Sunday, November 25, 2007 on Page W12In the Washington Post Magazinehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/20/AR2007112001777.html
THE BED IS TILTING!
Or the couch, or whatever. A futon. Slanted.
She hadn't noticed it before, but now she can't stop noticing. Like the princess and the pea.
By objective measure, the tilt is negligible, a fraction of an inch, but she can't be fooled by appearances, not with the sleep mask on. In her inner darkness, the slight tilt magnifies, and suddenly she feels as if she might slide off, and that idea makes her giggle.
"I feel really, really weird," she says. "Crooked!"
Donna Kilgore laughs, a high-pitched sound that contains both thrill and anxiety. That she feels anything at all, anything other than the weighty, oppressive numbness that has filled her for 11 years, is enough in itself to make her giddy.
But there is something more at work inside her, something growing from the little white capsule she swallowed just minutes ago. She's subject No. 1 in a historic experiment, the first U.S. government-sanctioned research in two decades into the potential of psychedelic drugs to treat psychiatric disorders. This 2004 session in the office of a Charleston, S.C., psychiatrist is being recorded on audiocassettes, which Donna will later hand to a journalist.
The tape reveals her reaction as she listens to the gentle piano music playing in her headphones. Behind her eyelids, movies begin to unreel. She tries to say what she sees: Cars careening down the wrong side of the road. Vivid images of her oldest daughter, then all three of her children. She's overcome with an all-consuming love, a love she thought she'd lost forever.
"Now I feel all warm and fuzzy," she announces. "I'm not nervous anymore."
"What level of distress do you feel right now?" a deeply mellow voice beside her asks.
Donna answers with a giggle. "I don't think I got the placebo," she says.
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO, Donna Kilgore was raped.When the stranger at the door asked if her husband were home, she hesitated. Not long, but long enough. That was her mistake.
"That was it," Donna, 39 now, is saying. "He pushed in. I backed up and picked up a poker from the fireplace. I was screaming. He says, 'I've got a gun. If you cooperate, I won't kill you.' He unzipped his jacket and reached in. I thought, this is it. This is how I'm going to die. My life didn't flash before my eyes. I wasn't thinking about my daughter. Just that one cold, hard fact. I checked out. I could feel it, like hot molasses pouring all over my body. I went completely numb."
She dropped the poker.

Read the rest of the article here
http://www.maps.org/sys/nq.pl?id=1475&fmt=page

Physical Symptoms of Traumatic Stress

Anyone affected by the hurricanes or other traumatic stress may experience:
· Fatigue· Being easily startled· Headaches· Sweating· Gastro-intestinal problems
Emotional Symptoms of Traumatic Stress
Those affected by traumatic stress may feel:
· Fear· Anger· Guilt· Anxiety· Reduced awareness· Feeling like you are numb or not part of the world· Helplessness· Hopelessness
What is PTSD?
PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is similar to a stress reaction and, in fact, many people who have experienced a traumatic event do develop PTSD. Those with PTSD may experience many of the same emotional and physical symptoms as those with a traumatic stress reaction. Those with PTSD, however, experience trauma along with intense fear, helplessness or horror and then develop intrusive symptoms (such as flashbacks or nightmares). Their symptoms will last more than a month and get in the way of normal life.
Traumatic stress is not uncommon. In fact:
· About 70 % of U.S. adults have experienced a severe traumatic event at least once in their life and one out of five go on to develop symptoms of PTSD· Approximately 8% of all adults have suffered from PTSD at any one time· If you include children and teens, an estimated 5% of all Americans will develop PTSD during their lifetime or more than 13 million people· About one in 10 women will develop PTSD symptoms during their lifetime or double the rate for men because they are much more likely to be victims of domestic violence, rape or abuse.· Almost 17% of men and 13% of women have experienced more than three traumatic events during their life.
The Mind/Body Connection
Suffering traumatic stress can affect your emotions as well as your body and the two are so connected that it can be hard to tell the difference. For instance, traumatic stress can cause you to lose concentration, forget things, or have trouble sleeping. It may be difficult to determine on your own whether these symptoms are because you do not feel well physically or because you are still upset. Traumatic stress also can lead you to eat in unhealthy ways or to eat foods that are not healthy, and those eating patterns can affect how you sleep or how your stomach feels. Stress can cause headaches, but the pain from the headaches can also make your stress worsen.
Because the body and the mind work in concert, traumatic stress can cause a cycle that makes it seem like the body and mind are working against one another, worsening symptoms like pain and fatigue.
Coping with Traumatic Stress
There are things you can do to help yourself if you have suffered traumatic stress as a result of an event such as a school shooting.
- Give yourself time to heal. Anticipate that this will be a difficult time in your life. Allow yourself to mourn the losses you have experienced. Try to be patient with changes in your emotional state.- Ask for support from people who care about you and who will listen and empathize with your situation. But keep in mind that your typical support system may be weakened if those who are close to you also have experienced or witnessed the trauma.- Communicate your experience in whatever ways feel comfortable to you - such as by talking with family or close friends, or keeping a diary.- Find out about local support groups that often are available such as for those who have suffered from natural disasters. These can be especially helpful for people with limited personal support systems.- Try to find groups led by appropriately trained and experienced professionals such as psychologists. Group discussion can help people realize that other individuals in the same circumstances often have similar reactions and emotions.- Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your ability to cope with excessive stress. Eat well-balanced meals and get plenty of rest. If you experience ongoing difficulties with sleep, you may be able to find some relief through relaxation techniques. Avoid alcohol and drugs.- Establish or reestablish routines such as eating meals at regular times and following an exercise program. This can be especially important when the normal routines of daily life are disrupted. Even if you are in a shelter and unable to return home, establish routines that can bring comfort. Take some time off from the demands of daily life by pursuing hobbies or other enjoyable activities.--Help those you can. Helping others, even during your own time of distress, can give you a sense of control and can make you feel better about yourself.- Avoid major life decisions such as switching careers or jobs if possible because these activities tend to be highly stressful.
When Should I Seek Professional Help?
Many people are able to cope effectively with the emotional and physical demands brought about by a natural disaster by using their own support systems. It is not unusual, however, to find that serious problems persist and continue to interfere with daily living. For example, some may feel overwhelming nervousness or lingering sadness that adversely affects job performance and interpersonal relationships.
Individuals with prolonged reactions that disrupt their daily functioning should consult with a trained and experienced mental health professional. Psychologists and other appropriate mental health providers help educate people about common responses to extreme stress. These professionals work with individuals affected by trauma to help them find constructive ways of dealing with the emotional impact.
With children, continual and aggressive emotional outbursts, serious problems at school, preoccupation with the traumatic event, continued and extreme withdrawal, and other signs of intense anxiety or emotional difficulties all point to the need for professional assistance. A qualified mental health professional such as a psychologist can help such children and their parents understand and deal with thoughts, feelings and behaviors that result from trauma

http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=122

Barack Obama's Plan

Strengthen Families at Home
Strengthen Fatherhood and Families: Since 1960, the number of American children without fathers in their lives has quadrupled, from 6 million to more than 24 million. Children without fathers in their lives are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Barack Obama has re-introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, ensure that support payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies, fund support services for fathers and their families, and support domestic violence prevention efforts. As president, Obama will sign this bill into law and continue to implement innovative measures to strengthen families.


http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/#families-at-home

Survivor Words we can join in with Obama words that can chagne our world

Artist: Will.I.Am Song: Yes We Can (Barack Obama Song)
Lyrics:
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can.It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.Yes we can. Yes we can.It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.Yes we can. Yes we can.It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the Promised Land.Yes we can to justice and equality.(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...) Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. ////////-----Yes we can heal our trauma’s of abuse.Yes we can repair this world. ------Survivor’s knowledge tools Yes we can. Si Se Puede ---------Greatest words ever spoken(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.We want change!(We want change! We want change! We want change...)
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. We want change! (We want change! I want change! We want change! I want change...)
The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA;we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.(yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can, yes we can...)
I believe this is the year for survivor’s to stand united and make changes and pass out knowledge so our victims can become survivors and then move to thrives. Stand up for change, our nation can heal I believe Barack Obama can cause our nation to open its eyes and start dealing with the problems of the past and when our nation changes so will our opportunities increase. Join the nation lets unite as one and change our ways of thinking inside the box.

Barack obama’s words of yes we can and we want change the biggest word of power that his message holds is Hope.

Yes We Can Barack Obama Video with Black Eyed Pea