Thanks, Marley K. for your understanding and supportive comments.

I recently read the book The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris in which she talks about childhood trauma and how it’s carried through generation after generation. A child is neglected and grows up to become a depressed and neglectful parent and her child grows up anxious and is diagnosed as ADHD and self-medicates as an adult and beats her child and that child grows up angry and violent and so on. She is an advocate of ACES testing to help medical doctors identify the early traumas of a child and the child’s parent(s) so instead of throwing drugs at problems (like ADHD and depression), the family receives therapy and learns stress-reduction practices such as meditation and yoga.

If you haven’t read that book, I highly recommend it. Certainly has given me a broader and deeper understanding of childhood trauma and the need of caregivers who know how to help a child through grief, fear, insecurities, etc. We would have fewer adults suffering with depression if they had good support systems as children, easing them through the rough times.

We, especially Americans, are too reluctant to talk about trauma, we can’t admit our fears, don’t want to seem weak, don’t want to ask for help, and are not willing to get involve and offer help to others. We are a sad and sick society.