Little Children Most Vulnerable to Violence

Since I began my work with those labeled mentally ill it’s been clear that trauma plays a large part in the lives of most of those with psychiatric labels. This simple observation that many of us have made and many others want to deny is beginning to be largely supported in the literature and science. It starts with our kids. It can end there too if we raise them in appropriate nurturing environments. We deny it at a cost to everyone in our abusive and traumatic culture. We might also treat the vulnerable who get labeled mentally ill as they are, traumatized people who need gentle loving care. That’s rarely on offer in the mental health system. In fact many people are instead re-traumatized.