Ryan's Weekly Tip for the Homeless, Mentally Ill, and Addicted Patrons, 4-10-18

From Ryan Dowd, 10:02AM:

Most homeless individuals have experienced significantly more trauma than most non-homeless individuals:   Homeless individuals have experienced more sexual violence as children and as adults than the general population. Homeless individuals have experienced more physical violence as children and as adults than the general population. 45% of men have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury event in their lives (that’s not quite at the NFL level, but it’s coming close). Neuroscientists have studied trauma extensively and determined that trauma (especially childhood trauma) physically changes the brain by remapping neural pathways, altering the chemical makeup of the brain and killing brain cells in specific parts of the brain. There are two specific (and highly relevant) consequences of substantial trauma. We will discuss one this week and one next week. Trauma Part 1:  Threat stimuli Individuals who have experienced a lot of trauma oftentimes “misperceive threat stimuli.”  This is just a fancy way of saying that their brain has trouble judging just how bad something is. Consequently, individuals who have experienced a lot of trauma oftentimes “overreact.”  Something mildly bad happens (like a fine at the library for an overdue book), and they absolutely explode as if it is the worst thing that has ever happened to them.  If you have not experienced significant trauma in your life, their behavior makes no sense.  But, if you think through their life experiences, it actually makes sense: At some point in the past, something catastrophically bad happened to them (rape, severe beating, etc.) Their brain wants to ensure that never happens again. Consequently, the brain now always errs on the side of caution:  it is safer to treat everything as very dangerous (and be wrong) than to let your guard down (and be wrong). So, the next time you are working with a homeless individual and he or she “overreacts” to something that seems trivial to you, remember that past trauma has fundamentally altered the way his/her brain processes the world. Next week:  Trauma Part 2.

Have a great week! Peace, Ryan www.homelesslibrary.com