Remember Caregivers of Veterans

Today is Veterans Day. As the Daughter of a Veteran who served in the Korean War, and as a Medical Social Worker, I understand the challenges and complex issues caregivers of Veterans face.

Veteran sacrifices their bodies and their lives to protect our freedoms. ⠀

There are many faces of caregivers who support our Veterans. The caregiver of a Veteran can be an older adult taking care of their unmarried child returning home from service as a disabled veteran.⠀

A caregiver of a Veteran could be a spouse who is learning how to care for a Veteran returning with unseen disabilities like post-traumatic stress disorder⠀

A caregiver of a Veteran may be taken care of the children of a Veteran who is actively serving in the military.⠀

Caregivers of veterans are increasingly overwhelmed mentally, emotionally, physically and financially with the multitude of responsibilities providing care.⠀

We must remember and support the caregiver of veterans. ⠀You can start my asking the caregivers of a Veteran how you can help them. That show of concern speak voulmes.

The families of Veterans also make multiple sacrifices seen and unseen. We must remember and support them also. ⠀

If you are the caregiver of a veteran caring for yourself is the best thing you can do to help support your loved one.⠀

Practicing mindfulness can help you find calm as you care for the Veteran in your life. ⠀

Taking time just a few minutes a day to relax can help restore you.⠀

Listening to a guided meditation such as https://www.calm.com while taking a walk or before sleep can help restore balance.

While we honor our Veterans today, let’s remember the caregivers who support them.

What in the world is EMDR?

Last week I completed part 1 on the road to EMDR therapy training. It was the most fulling and emotional taxing trainings I have ever engaged in. It was 1000% worth it!

EMDR has been proven to be one of the most effective treatments for people with trauma. Because so many people have trauma, I treat people with trauma in my therapy practice. I also provide clinical supervision and need to keep the clinical tools in my tool box sharp. At the end of the day I wanted to ensure I can offer the best therapy practices to my clients. 

As a black therapist the majority of my clients are black singles, black couples, or people in a multicultural relationship. The history of generational trauma runs deep for many, and I feel it’s critical for people of color to have access to clinicians they identify with who are trauma trained. 

What exactly is EMDR you may ask?

EMDR, as with most therapy approaches focuses on the present concerns of people, while going back. The approach of EMDR believes past emotionally charged experiences and trauma tend to overly influence the present emotions and thoughts a person believes about themselves. One common example of this is a person may have deep feelings of being worthless, although they know they have to be a worthwhile person.

EMDR Therapy helps you break through the emotional blocks that keep people from living a healthy emotionally life.

How exactly does EMDR achieve this? 

EMDR uses rapid sets of eye movements to help people “update” distbuting experiencing, similarly to what occurs in deep sleep know as REM sleep. During REM sleep people alternate between regular sleep and REM. This sleep pattern helps people process things that are troubling.

EMDR Therapy replicates this sleep pattern by alternating between sets of eye movements or tapping and brief reports about what you are noticing. This alternating process helps people “update “the memories to a healthier present perspective. 

EMDR really works. in complete transparency I was skeptical at first. Maybe it’s the Brooklyn in me and I needed to experience it to believe it’s effectiveness. EMDR really works and I am a believer!

If you are grappling with trauma from your childhood, a recent incident seeking support from a therapist trained in EMDR may be worth exploring.