Resiliency jenna-2013

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Resiliency

From regeneration to thriving: Whats in Your Toolbox?

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Resiliency: The BasicsWhen we speak of resiliency in human terms we talk a lot about some innate skill or ability that is part nature, part nurture and part super hero.. as ambiguous as strength, we often use the word resiliency interchangeably with strength and resourceful. Wow, you are so strongI could never survive that.

What we now know through three decades of resiliency research is that resilience is best understood as a process.] Most research now shows that resilience is the result of individuals being able to interact with their environments and the processes that either promote well-being or protect them against the overwhelming influence of risk factors.[14] These processes can be individual coping strategies, or may be helped along by good families, schools, communities, and social policies that make resilience more likely to occur.[15] In this sense "resilience" occurs when there are cumulative "protective factors". These factors are likely to play a more and more important role the greater the individuals exposure to cumulative "risk factors". The phrase "risk and resilience"' in this area of study is quite common.

Resilience is a dynamic process whereby individuals exhibit positive behavioral adaptation when they encounter significant adversity, trauma,[17] tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress.

Regeneration in Natureregeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans.[

A dwarf yellow-headed gecko, Lygodactylus luteopicturatus. Pictured in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. App 7cm long. Tail shed through autotomy is regenerating.3

Adaptation in NatureAdaptations help organisms survive in their ecological niche or habitat; adaptations can be anatomical, behavioral or physiological.Anatomical adaptations are physical features such as an animals shape. Behavioral adaptations can be inherited or learnt and include tool use, language and swarming behavior. Physiological adaptations include the ability to make venom; but also more general functions such as temperature regulation.

Despite its name, the starfish is not a fish; its an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars. They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers.Some species of starfish have the ability to regenerate lost arms and can regrow an entire new arm given time. Some of these can regrow the rest of their bodies from a single arm, while others need at least part of the central disc to be attached to the arm. Regrowth can take several months to years. There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the worlds oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body.

Starfish Facts

The starfish has various representations in mythology: There is an aboriginal myth that starfish assisted other animals in reaching their destination in Australia. There is the Egyptian line drawing that depicted both the stars of the sky and of the Red Sea with meanings of life purpose and the afterlife. There areother myths, such as the one about a boy who was throwing washed up starfish back into the sea. When asked by an old man why he bothered since he couldn't possibly rescue them all, the boy replied, as he threw one of the starfish back into the sea, " It made a difference for that one!" There is the story of the Star of the Sea or Stella Maris who lovingly creates safe travel over troubled waters and is also seen as an emblem of salvation during trying times.

Starfish Mythology

Resiliency + Trauma= PTSD?

Chronic yelling/shamingDepression/Anxiety becomes adaptive

If part of resiliency is the ability to survive in the face of adversity and traumatic events then we could conceivably argue that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is in fact adaptive especially when looking at trauma from a biological perspective. According to Peter Levine: The key to healing traumatic symptoms in humans is in our physiology. When faced with what is perceived as inescapable or overwhelming threat, humans and animals both use the immobility response. The important thing to understand about this function is that it is involuntary. This simply means that the physiological mechanism governing this response resides in the primitive, instinctual parts of our brains and nervous systems, and is not under our conscious control. That is why the study of wild animal behavior is essential to the understanding and healing of human trauma.

The involuntary and instinctual portions of the human brain and nervous system are virtually identical to those of mammals and even reptiles. Our brain, often called the 'triune brain,' consists of three integral systems. The three parts are commonly known as the 'reptilian brain' (instinctual), the 'mammalian or limbic brain (emotional), and the 'human brain or neo-cortex' (rational). Since the parts of the brain that are activated by a perceived life threatening situation are the parts we share with animals, much can be learned by studying how certain animals, like the impala, avoid traumatization. To take this one step further, I believe that the key to healing traumatic symptoms in humans lies in our being able to mirror the fluid adaptation of wild animals as they 'shake out' and pass through the immobility response and become fully mobile and functional.

Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the ''triggering'' event itself. They stem from the frozen residue of energy that has not been resolved and discharged; this residue remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and spirits. The long-term, alarming, debilitating, and often bizarre symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develop when we cannot complete the process of moving in, through and out of the ''immobility'' or ''freezing'' state. However, we can thaw by initiating and encouraging our innate drive to return to a state of dynamic equilibrium. 7

Neuroscience of Trauma in a Nutshell

The Artsy ViewWhat Your Brain Actually Looks Like

What Can Parents Do To Build Internal Resources in their child?

Practice and Use Resiliency Toolbox:Meditation: building mind/body awareness/self compassion and empathy.Journaling-expression, self-awareness, creative outletI HAVE, I AM, I CAN

First you need the coping skills to manage your own stress and trauma. Through development and practice of these like journaling and meditation you can begin to access and teach your children a sense of calm, self efficacy and self love while increasing your childs ability to thrive through adversity in the long term.

To be successful it is important to really learn about your mind and body with as much spaciousness as possible. Pretty soon you will be able to notice when you are feeling stressed in your body and be able to calm your system while also changing your thoughts and behaviors. 9

What Does a Balanced Nervous System Feel Like?

Tools to return to stability!!! This is what we can learn and teach our children. 10

What does trauma feel like?

Whats In Your Resiliency Toolbox Already?What gives you comfort, hope and strength? Here are some common external and internal resources: Spiritual Beliefs-Exercise/SportsFamilyFriend(s)CommunityCreative OutletsNatureAnimalsStorytelling/SharingMeditation

Take a moment now to write in your tools in the sheet provided. 12

What Helps You Calm Down?Deep breathsCounting to tenFinding a quiet spaceSoft MusicAccepting the need to find space to calm down. Finding a grounding place in body (feet are great anchors and so is the breath)

How does journaling help build resiliency?Journaling is a safe place to share your thoughts, feelings and story. It also helps you get perspective on strong emotions that feel overwhelming.It helps you make sense of thoughts and even see patterns in the way you think and even talk to yourself. It is a physical way to be in the moment. Pen, paper, and you.It captures a moment in time you will never get back. And will help you track who you are throughout your lifes journey.It helps you find your unique voice as a person, writer and artist.

ConclusionWe all have the ability to heal and thrive. We are all starfish.Children learn how to manage stress from their primary caretakers and their environment. To reduce childhood depression and future mental illness parents need to develop and practice certain coping skills, which will enhance their own resiliency and extend into their parenting. We have to learn those coping skills. Telling our story through journaling and expressive arts is an important resource and one easily learned and practiced. Slowing down the moment through writing, art and meditation increases relaxation, body awareness, thought recognition, and helps to create a safe space we can always return to.