What I want YOU to know...

"But even if not consciously remembered, early memories show themselves indirectly through behaviour. It is intrinsically human to re-enact defensive reactions to forgotten traumas, though our reactions are no longer relevant. Often early memories become evident through persistent feelings that don’t seem to relate to a present situation, or through bodily sensations that don’t seem to make any sense."

and..

"Many have remembered how it felt to be a baby, howling for a mother who would not come. In reconstructing a particular body posture, or talking about a similar emotionally charged event, the contextual memories of unbearable longing, rage or terror come back into focus."

I suppose because I have read about baby brain trauma for years now, I think everyone knows about it. Because you are my friend, I want you to know about it. I can accurately say that I deal with this on a daily basis. It is not bad and is easily managed, but I have to be on my toes to remember where all this originated in my daughter.

Brains and bodies "remember" trauma in their core. When a child experiences something that she experienced as a baby, something traumatic, her body/brain will react with intense emotions/chemicals.

I get a little frustrated when someone responds to me, in regard to my daughter, with a statement like this: "BUT she can't POSSIBLY have memories from the orphanage!". No, she can't tell the STORY, but she has the MEMORY.

I want you to know there is a lot of research on this and it is factual. Here is a great article by psychologist Robin Grille on this very topic:

www.nospank.net/grille5.htm

For moms of young children, this article says that for every stern disciplinary face you give your child, follow up with reassurance that they are good kids, with a gentle, smiling face. Reassuring them helps in so many ways. It is near the end of the article.

So much more I would like to say, but perhaps it is too personal. Hope you have a happy Fall day!
Thanks for "listening"!!