?Good morning my sweet souls! Happy Marvelous Monday…☀️ Grab a hug in a mug, seek positivity in others, and choose a mindset of optimism.? It seems some days are better than others. I know for myself, I try to have an attitude of glow even when circumstances say otherwise. Furthermore, we have choices in discovering ways to enhance our lives by how we develop control of our minds and what we do with our thought patterns.
?For many of us whom have journeyed through trauma or abuse, our brains have been altered physically, chemically, and emotionally during our childhood years. Maybe we were maltreated, neglected, or abused as a child. Adversity during childhood has been found to change the trajectory of the brain’s development and tends to begin a cycle of later problems. Yet, one must wonder why some are more resilient than others to these types of problems?
?Lifelong consequences to the brain from childhood mistreatment has been found in current research revealing a large spectrum of psychological disorders and stress related medical anomalies. During stages of childhood, different brain regions go through a series of rapid change, and these sensitive times, therefore, make children more susceptible to long term effects of abuse.
?Findings consistent to childhood maltreatment has shown enhanced reactivity in the amygdala, clusters of neurons in the nuclei of the brain’s fear processing circuit. This causes one’s behavior to be impulsive and heightens to threats. On the other hand, the reward system is more of a blunt response. Other abnormalities include a decreased hippocampus, which is involved 
in emotions, learning, and memory formation in the limbic system.
?Thus, when we understand our brain’s functions and how it offers us protection, survival, and coping strategies for living among those who long to be violent, overpowering, controlling, and enraged, we will finally realize the full extent of damage that has been done to us. Unraveling the painful knowledge that childhood abuse has altered our brains is one step closer to comprehending why so many of us struggle with the complexities of mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, personality disorders, disassociative disorders, substance disorders, psychotic thought disorders, sleep disorders, and self-perception disorders, etc.
?YOU are NOT to blame! Someone else did this to you and it has had lasting impact in how you respond to circumstances beyond your control, to the gender of those who abused you, the memories trapped inside your subconscious, the fears in the nightmares you sleep with, the anxiety that overcomes you in certain settings, and the negative self-talk you use for blaming and self perceptions. There are realistic reasons for why you do what you do. It’s NOT in your head. The truth is you have been injured at the hands of someone more powerful than you whom you trusted. Yet, we can heal the inner child, release ourselves from the shame, the guilt, and the prison we contain ourselves in. Letting go is a conscious and step by step process. Loving yourself first is the beginning to living a life in the glow…? It is a choice. It is learning to trust yourself, who you are, your decisions, your choices, and who you let into your boundaries. There are stages that are critical for traumatized persons to sift through in order to understand who they are again in the light. It’s a process worth taking. It’s not an easy one, but it is one that will lift you higher, bring you joy, teach you to surrender the junk you hang on to, and allow yourself to breathe once again. I promise. Because I have walked in your shoes. 
Please know you can always begin today.?
?I hope your weekend was fun and full of adventure.?♂️??♂️??♀️ May today bring you much joy, happiness, and pleasure. If at any time you may need someone to talk with or a hand to hold, please contact me. You can reach me on my contact form on my website. May your day be filled with glow…?
In Love and Light,?
Kimberly Lees, Ed.D.
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