Saturday, May 5, 2018

Legitimizing Almost Trauma

If you are in the woods and walking, enjoying your hike, not another person around for miles. Then, you cross a black bear, it is just feet from you and stands up on its hind legs and growls, you can smell it even. Your adrenaline is going to rise, your gonna panic, all the possibilities race through your mind.

Your heart rate is skyrocketed and you can feel your pulse pounding in your fingertips and neck. On instinct alone you freeze and prepare to run despite all the TV shows that have told you to freeze. The bear drops down and turns the other way and begins a quick retreat.

Moments later, you realize your OK and the bear is gone, you were very lucky. You almost got attacked.

Here is my point, did you incur trauma that needs to be talked about? Think about it for a moment, will you continue your walk or will you go back to your car, maybe even run back to your car? Will it be a while before you walk that trail again?

Now, take that moment of almost fear, when your heart is pounding, your eyes are dilated, your brain is operating on pure instinct, you are searching for options in the presence of a threat... right.

Most inmates feel this their entire sentences. Our amygdala's being over used for long periods of time where we run into "almost" threats every day. They are dressed as inmates and staff.

Rehabilitation should not include this element. It is not healthy. If you want to help stop the cycle of recidivism and criminal activity, become a psychologist and work with inmates. Then, demand changes from staff.

With Love
Jeff "Jeffebelle"

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