ARP 342 Adverse Childhood Experiences aka ACEs

I did an episode about ACEs a long time ago. It was okay but I know a bit more now. 

At the time I said something to the effect, "Childhood isn't easy even in the best of families, but what if your family of origin contributed to your current condition? I'm not saying that it has, but what if it did?"

That part was ok but listening to it now I did not fully define it or give examples. 

When you know better, you do better. This is probably a three part series about childhood events that might have contributed to an anxiety condition. 

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has Fast Facts: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences

ACEs Awareness is a California project to screen children for indicators of ACE events. There is a Healthy Way to Manage Stress pdf handout that offers suggestions on how to manage stress, such as be kind to yourself, set goals and start small. 

Therapist Erik Bohlin handout list of Symptoms from Dysfunctional Families.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Quotation from Turning Pointe, How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself

On Literary Hub there is a very good excerpt called The Toll of Perfectionism: On the Physical and Mental Health of Ballet Dancers by Chloe Angyal:

In 2003, researchers at Duke University surveyed students about the campus culture, particularly as it was experienced by young women. What they found was that Duke women felt enormous pressure to be socially active—party, drink, date, and hook up—while also getting high grades, participating in extracurriculars, and being beautiful.

They were supposed to do all of this without seeming to try at all, without showing the strain, without breaking a sweat. Failure was unacceptable, but so was the appearance of trying to succeed. The researchers dubbed this set of absurd and gendered expectations “effortless perfection.”

So at the beginning of the 21st century women were still expected to be antiseptically perfect and freaky-deaky at the same time. Some things never change. Hush-hush still in effect.

Sound like the beginning to a long-term anxiety experience to me. And that is just a part of the introduction.  It goes on to talk about the expectations placed on professional dancers and how that can lead to all kinds of mental health issues.

I also learned that there are different types of perfection, and yes, there is a destructive form of perfectionism. And it is no secret that the world of professional ballet is not body inclusive. 

The actual book is called Turning Pointe, how a new generation of dancers is saving ballet. You can get more info about the book at the Bold Type Books website. There are also multiple places to get an audiobook - check out Hatchette Audio for alternative sources.

There is a review of the book at the New York Journal of Books web site. 

Some of you are gonna ask, "what has this got to do with anxiety?"

Legit question.

Legit answer: locking an art or experience into a small segment of performers damages people. 

Those that view the performance and think this is the only way that dance, specifically ballet, can exist. 

The other people that want to participate, have the talent and are told, "No, you don't fit the artificially constructed frame work." 

You do not need a tutu to dance. And the freaking Nutcracker isn't the only ballet that has ever been created.

The business and gate keeping function of ballet has produced a crap ton of anxiety and eating disorders. Not to mention keeping women and other creators out of the decision making process.

So yeah, if we want to recognize that there are multiple sources for anxiety in our society, which includes sports and the arts, then there is much work to do.

Just in case: 

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Show 186 - Know Your Symptoms

In this episode, a caution about using Facebook as a health journal or health locker and what are symptoms and the ways that they show up in the body. Your body.

This time out I'm probably asking the equivalent of looking at your own personal boogie man. Identifying your symptoms. Not an easy thing to do when you are trying to deal with them.

It is important to know what you are dealing with because you can waste a lot of time pacifying a symptom when you could be dealing with the larger problem. (There are exceptions to this, don't take it as gospel.)




If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

National Institute of Mental Health overview about anxiety disorders.

National Institute of Mental Health page on social anxiety disorder.

Verywell Mind Revised post about anxiety disorders, symptoms and treatment options.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts or Irresistible Actions Take Over page at NIMH.

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Show 131 Possible Causes of Anxiety Disorders

Does knowing why we have an anxiety disorder help people with their treatment? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There are those of us that need to understand how we got to this place so that we can begin to correct it.

Other people don't care about the why, just make it stop. Fix it. In this episode, a look at the possible causes of an anxiety disorder.

I'm still on vacation light as I both rest and generate new episodes. I have a lot of good ideas in the hopper and I hope to start sharing them in a few weeks.




If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

Helpguide.org has a page for those of you with panic attacks and panic disorders.

The Mayo Clinic has a page about symptoms and causes of an anxiety disorder

National Institute of Mental Health page about risk factors such as shyness, family members having a mental illness or financial hardship,

The music selection this week is Lanquidity from PurplePlanet.com

Disclaimer: 

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.