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ACKNOWLEDGING TRAUMA: WHAT IT IS, HOW IT SHOWS UP, & WAYS TO ADDRESS IT

5/27/2022

 
PictureTony Raymer, Director of Brainhealth at Easterseals Iowa
By Autumn Diesburg
RISE AmeriCorps Macro Communications Member


The experience of unresolved trauma can affect all aspects of our lives, making understanding what trauma is and how we can respond to it key to our day-to-day quality of life. Still, the term is often misunderstood or misused, compounding confusion for people seeking to understand their own stress and pain. So, what does the word ‘trauma’ actually mean and how can we respond to its presence within our own lives and the lives of those we care about? 

In recent months, increased exposure to media coverage of global, national, and local crises has left many RISE AmeriCorps members questioning how they can identify and respond to their own stress and trauma responses. 

In adults, trauma is a result of a person’s coping ability being overwhelmed by life-threatening danger – either to someone important in their lives or to themselves, said Tony Raymer, Director of Brain Health at Easterseals Iowa. Children, however, who need adults to survive, may be traumatized when they lack adults who take care of their social, emotional, or physical needs. After experiencing traumatization, Raymer said, common trauma responses tend to fall under five umbrellas:
​
  1. Fight: for example, when walking through a parking lot you hear an unknown sound and your body tenses in preparation to fight before finding out an animal made the sound.
  2. Flight: running away from a threat or distressing situation.
  3. Freeze: going still or experiencing dissociation; for example, not recognizing your own emotions, then having fast changes in mood or emotional reactions as a result of inner disconnection.
  4. Fawn: often rooted in childhood, this includes ingratiating, overly friendly behavior as a form of protection; for example, overt attempts to please someone and keep them anchored to you. 
  5. Somatic/Physical: having headaches, stomachaches, body aches.​


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RISE AmeriCorps Mentorship Program Crafts Connections: David Clower and Ruth Ehrhardt

5/19/2022

 
Over lunch each week, just down the block from each other’s organization, RISE AmeriCorps Member David Clower and First Lutheran Church Food Services Coordinator Ruth Ehrhardt bonded over their shared passion of community service. Together, they strategized Clower’s plans for the future and ways to connect resources for the Afghan refugees Clower primarily serves.

“I got super lucky because Ruth has an incredible wealth of experience that she has been able to share with me,” Clower said.

Through the unique opportunity of the RISE AmeriCorps mentorship program, members are gaining professional and personal connections to lead them successfully into their next season of life. RISE AmeriCorps members are carefully matched with mentors according to their ambitions. The pairs then meet for one hour per week for at least six months, talking through steps to meet their goals.

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    ​About the Blog

    RISE AmeriCorps Members uplift and empower Iowa's refugee and immigrant communities. This blog was created with the intent of sharing these valuable success stories with the public.

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  • Home
  • About RISE
    • Our Mission
    • Our Impact
    • Our AmeriCorps Members >
      • '21-'22 Members
    • Our Host Sites
    • Our Leadership
  • Resources
    • Timesheets
    • For Members >
      • Member Benefits >
        • Health Resources
        • Education Award
        • Living Allowance
        • Loan Forbearance
      • Enrollment and Exit
    • Training Opportunities
    • For Supervisors
    • Reporting
  • Stories
    • Blog
    • In the News
    • Stories App
  • Apply!
    • Become a Member >
      • Why Join RISE?
    • Become a Mentor
    • Become a Host Site
  • Contact RISE