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#Triggered: Burden-Bearing without Bondage
Burden-bearing is a spiritual gifting which many possess but few know how to manage. Natural empaths, those of us who enter easily into the suffering of another, can become depressed and even cynical if we do not understand the nature of the gifting with which we were probably born. To first identify if you are a burden bearer, ask yourself the following questions: Do you feel what others are feeling? Can you accurately identify others’ emotions, sometimes to the point where they feel you can practically read their minds? Do you find yourself unable to face people sometimes because you have a hard time closing yourself off to other people’s…
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Hurricane Harvey: The Collective Trauma of Houston
I have never experienced a mass trauma like Hurricane Harvey before, but I recognize the symptoms. Everyone experiences trauma in their lives, though usually individually rather than a collective trauma like a natural disaster. A car accident, a sudden death or loss of a loved one, or even just moving across the country to somewhere completely unfamiliar can bring on the symptoms of trauma. We know instinctively what trauma feels like but a complete definition can help bring some clarity. Helpguide.org describes the symptoms of trauma like this: Emotional & psychological symptoms: Shock, denial, or disbelief. Confusion, difficulty concentrating. Anger, irritability, mood swings. Anxiety and fear. Guilt, shame, self-blame. Withdrawing…
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Epigenetics, Inherited Trauma, and You: The Ghost of Generational Memory
The study of epigenetics and generational memory, at least as far as its relationship to trauma, is fairly new. Without going into a poor scientific explanation of what epigenetics is, I will merely quote Dr. Jackie Hackett from the University of Cambridge. He says point blank that “…research demonstrates [that] genes … retain some memory of their past experiences.” This quote is from a book entitled, It Didn’t Start With You, by Mark Wolynn. In this book, he encapsulates quite articulately the most recent research on inherited trauma and epigenetics. The most basic explanation is that trauma does not affect the DNA sequencing itself, but the actual function of the…
Healing Through Art & Words
