Trauma. The word means different things to different people and in different circumstances. Sometimes the word refers to intense distress. Sometimes it means actual physical tissue damage. Sometimes it means an emotional upset. And all of these definitions are legitimate and understood in specific contexts
We observe PTSD Awareness Month every year at CDP by writing new blogs about PTSD, offering several workshops on PTSD assessment and treatment during the month of June, and focusing our monthly CDP Presents webinar on the topic. Yet few of us (including myself) know the history of PTSD Awareness Month and how we came to observe it every year.
Mindfulness has been around for at least thousands of years, often originating out of religious practices. Many consider Jon Kabat-Zinn, as the main person to bring mindfulness out from its roots and into a secular, health-focused perspective. Trained as a molecular biologist and a long-time practicing Buddhist, he believed that mindfulness could serve an important role in medicine.
What helps you to become a better clinician? There may not be a single answer to this question. In fact, most of us probably benefit from a variety of different experiences depending upon our learning style and what we are specifically seeking to improve. Literature on competency development also highlights that such improvement can focus on knowledge, attitude, skills, or any combination of these.
It is easy for us to hear what is happening in Ukraine and make judgements, condemning Russian soldiers for their actions. I think a natural response to many of the things we are hearing is horror and repulsion.