PTSD

           “That’s just the way I am”.  How many times have we heard ourselves or someone else justify behavior with this statement?  A more accurate statement might be “I don’t know how to act any differently”.  The first proclamation smacks of an acceptance of personal qualities or behavior no matter their efficacy or value.  In contrast, the latter assumes responsibility, optimistically creating th

            What is recovery anyway?  What’s the difference between sobriety and recovery?  Both concepts may seem equally undesirable during the first phases of   help-seeking for addiction, alcoholism or other behaviors that no longer serve us.

Brene Brown, a self-proclaimed “researcher/storyteller”, says that our ability to feel loved and accepted comes from having the belief that we are worthy of love and acceptance.  Huh?  Basically, we have to buy it.  If we don’t allow it to be true, it won’t be.  But how do we allow this to be true for us if we don’t feel it?

Increasingly horses are becoming trauma healers through the fast growing profession of equine assisted therapy. Trauma responses are the human mind’s attempt to cope with the unimaginable. In some survivors, trauma can produce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with symptoms ranging from depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse to rage, dissociation and thoughts of suicide. These occur because the stress accompanying traumatic events demands coping strategies of the individual that far exceed their capabilities. Equine assisted therapy offers hope and encouragement for trauma survivors.