Category: children

Physical punishment (spanking etc) actually alters the brain

Researchers say physical punishment actually alters the brain -- not only in an "I'm traumatized" kind of way but also in an "I literally have less gray matter in my brain" kind of way. "Exposing children to HCP (harsh corporal punishment) may have detrimental effects on trajectories of brain development," one 2009 study concluded. Harsh corporal punishment in the study was defined as at least one spanking a month for more than three years, frequently done with objects such as a belt or paddle. Researchers found children who were regularly spanked had less gray matter in certain areas of the prefrontal cortex that have been linked to depression, addiction and other mental health disorders, the study authors say. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Children — ADHD & bipolar (history etc) Robert Whitaker – Psychiatric Epidemic

Here, Robert Whitaker looks at the research that specifically deals with Children -- especially ADHD but also so-called Bipolar Disorder. The evidence is clear: the ethics behind the use of these toxic medications on children is highly questionable. He repeats the information about the studies that have shown that ritalin is essentially long acting speed. The research comes from a very mainstream source. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

The toxic assault on our children

People may wonder sometimes why posts about food and the environment etc. are on a mental health blog. It's because everything matters in our environment. Everything in our environment impacts our health and wellbeing. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Unlived lives

Motivation to do what we can to become conscious. "Jung felt that the “unlived lives” of the parents deeply impacted the lives of the children, as if “branding” the children with a particular destiny. The unlived lives of the parents is an ancestral inheritance which has great weight and gravitas, in that it literally shapes the lives of the children. Jung elaborates on the notion of the parents’ unlived lives when he says it is “that part of their lives which might have been lived had not certain somewhat threadbare excuses prevented the parents from doing so. To put it bluntly, it is that part of life which they have always shirked, probably by means of a pious lie. That sows the most virulent germs.” … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Spanking is linked to serious child behavior problems (STOP IT)

Two new studies show that providing parents with information that spanking can lead to short- and long-term child behavior problems may help to change parents’ opinion on this form of discipline. Parents who spank their children often believe it’s an effective form of punishment. Research has found that parents who spank believe spanking can make children behave or respect them. That belief drives parental behavior, more so than their level of anger, the seriousness of the child’s misbehavior or the parent’s perceived intent of the child’s misbehavior. However, decades of research studies have found that spanking is linked to short- and long-term child behavior problems. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff on psychiatric drugs and children

Interview with Joanna Moncrieff, author of "The Myth Of The Chemical Cure: A Critique of Psychiatric Drug Treatment" … [click on title to read more]

We spend the 1st year teaching kids to walk & talk & the rest of their lives telling them to shut up & sit down

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Want Scientifically Literate Children? Get out of their way And I'd add: avoid drugging them if at all possible...which really amounts to the same suggestion Neil deGrasse Tyson is making. It's kind of like Pink Floyd: TEACHERS! Leave them kids alone... - http://youtu.be/AIEJjpVlZu0 - We spend the first year teaching children to... Continue Reading →

The Raising of America: let’s give our kids what they need

Science has demonstrated that a child's experiences during the earliest years are vital to building the foundation for life-long individual success -- in school and in life. Now economists are studying the costs and benefits of high quality early care and preschool. And they're worried. Not because we're spending too much but because we're spending too little where it matters most. ...Preventing trauma and abuse in kids and supporting them in meaningful ways as they grow up should be a critical priority … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Meditation for Kids: Books, Articles and Other Resources

Let's start encouraging and teaching good habits while our children are young. From Mommy Mystic, a resource guide for kids. I am frequently asked about meditation resources for kids, so here is a compilation of the best resources I have found. First, are books you can read to your kids, and then books you can use to learn how to teach them meditation, as a parent or teacher. Note that these books are all geared for pre-teen children (perhaps I will create a list for teenagers someday.) After the book lists are some articles about research on children’s meditation, as well as meditation programs in schools. Finally, I have included a list of organizations currently teaching meditation in schools and other settings. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

WOW!!! Vatican to hear debate about psychiatric drugs for kids

Robert Whitaker, Irving Kirsch, Joanna Moncrieff, Pat Bracken, Giovanni Fava, Jaakko Seikkula and others are to participate in a June 14-15 conference, hosted by the Vatican, that will examine the evidence for (and against) the rise of psychiatric medication and fall of psychosocial treatment for children. Press release for the June 13 press conference associated with the event: … [click on title for the rest of the post]

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