Resiliency Within

We all have many beliefs about why we may act out sexually or with drugs and alcohol in ways of which we are not proud. For those of us within certain religious communities, some of those beliefs may include personal weakness or a disconnection from God. With this theology, the more we act out, the more we see proof that we are unworthy of connection, both human and divine. From a neurobiological perspective, we may act out because we are managing difficult emotions like anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are very primal responses to our environments. If we experience abuse, neglect, or even environmental or human-made disasters, we may become uniquely sensitized to the stressors that cause negative emotions, and thus acting out behavior. While religious beliefs that promote certain standards may provide us with useful goalposts, especially with sex, those beliefs that do not also consider our deeply embodied emotional response to experience and the ways in which we all uniquely respond to life's stressors set us up for failure and hopelessness. In his book Faith & Sex: Toward a Better Understanding of Recovery, Being, Relationship, and God, Steven Luff explores the neurobiological underpinnings of emotions and how our faith lives and faith communities, can be profound resources to us—instead of impediments—as we locate our emotions and gain skills in human and spiritual co-regulation.

The is Part 2. The nurse midwives, Molly Jobe and Hanna Walters, and childbirth education teacher Tracey Goddard Johnson return to Resiliency Within to continue the discussion on how they are improving the mind and body health and well-being of pregnant people, birth givers, and new parents through their innovative programs. They will share how they have implemented the Community Resiliency Model through their Wellness Within project, which is a community-based research project taking place at the Center. The project aims to equip birth givers with the wellness skills taught in the Community Resiliency Model and to understand better how these skills can mitigate the impact of chronic stress and trauma during the perinatal period. The Atlanta Birth Center has Certified Community Resiliency Model Teachers who are implementing the project.

On March 20th and May 22nd, 2023, Elaine Miller-Karas interviewed Dr. Brooke Ellison. Brooke died on February 4, 2024. We are rebroadcasting this episode in tribute to her life, her wisdom, and her brilliance. We are acknowledging her family and all the love and support they gave her during her short lifetime. After a nearly fatal run-in with a car at age 11 that left her paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe on her own, Brooke Ellison went on to graduate from Harvard, write a memoir, earn master’s and doctoral degrees, and teach policy and ethics as a tenured professor—all the while navigating the world as a woman with ventilator-dependent quadriplegia. Christopher Reeve's last directorial work prior to his death was the Brooke Ellison Story, which chronicled a part of her life.

Brooke shared her perspectives and her wisdom about disability and life. In her book, “Look Both Ways,” published before her death, Brooke refused to let us look away. She tears off the cloak of invisibility around disability not only to champion the rights of the blind or the mobility-impaired but to make a far more earth-shattering claim: what she’s experienced—having to relearn how to live—differs from what every human being endures only in a matter of degree. We are more alike than we are willing to see. Brooke’s transformation was “an amplified version of the kinds of adjustments we all need to make when we have undergone an unexpected and, often, undesired change in our lives.” She was only 44 and she lived an amazing life.

Resiliency is found at every stage of the recovery process; from the very beginning of wanting to continue living without a substance, a person's brain may have convinced him/her it needs to survive. This is a remarkably courageous first step. Tolerating the withdrawals, shame, and existential crisis soon follow, and millions of people have been able to stop this cycle, while many others cannot break free. Why? Dr. Blair Steel will explore the correlates of successful recovery and the targeted interventions that Carrara Wellness Treatment and Spa has implemented in its treatment. For example she will describe ways in which people can calm their nervous systems and learn effective self-care and self-regulation techniques. She will share the concepts of the "5 C's of Resilience" (community, compassion, confidence, commitment, and centering) and how they relate to the support they provide in helping people achieve and maintain long-term sobriety.

The Atlanta Birth Center's Nurse-Midwives, Molly Jobe and Hannah Walters, and Childbirth Educator, Tracey Goddard-Johnson, will present its innovative Wellness Within Project. The Atlanta Birth Center is a Georgia-based non-profit organization that operates Atlanta's only freestanding, nationally accredited birth center, providing an optimal birth experience as anticipated by a childbearing woman and her family. They offer a home-like environment with a program of family-centered care before, during, and after pregnancy, labor, and birth. They adhere to eligibility guidelines set forth nationally by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers and the rules and regulations of the state of Georgia. Our guests will describe the Atlanta Birth Center and the Wellness Within project, which is a community-based research project taking place at the Center. The project aims to equip birth givers with the wellness skills taught in the Community Resiliency Model and to understand better how these skills can mitigate the impact of chronic stress and trauma during the perinatal period. The Atlanta Birth Center has Certified Community Resiliency Model Teachers who are implementing the project.

Clarence Nero will share his wisdom from his lived experience and his contributions to youth with innovative writing projects. He is an Associate Professor at Baton Rouge Community College, author, and screenwriter whose accomplishments include his critically acclaimed novel, Cheekie: A Child Out of Desire, nominated for 'Best Books for Young Adults' by the American Library Association and selected as 'One of the Best First Novels' by Library Journal which he adapted into a screenplay and is currently in pre-production. He served as a literary consultant to help his students self-publish a book called "Voices from the Bayou" that he adapted to the stage with the LSU Theater Department, and he then wrote the screenplay that led to the making of the short film "Voices." He is the writer, producer and director of the stage play, "Trauma on this Land." In 2011, after his brother was murdered in New Orleans, he launched the Bayou Soul Youth Literary Conference to empower and inspire Louisiana high school students

Survivors of childhood family trauma typically go through many stages in their path to healing. Kaytee highlights 6 of them: pre-awareness, uncovering, digging in, healing, understanding, and nurturing. Using elements from her clinical work, as well as personal experience, she provides support and tips for survivors navigating the healing journey. Kaytee will discuss the stages and provide insights into healing childhood family trauma. Most of us are only starting to become aware of how our foundational years contribute to who we are today. Our childhood environment shapes the foundation for our sense of self, how we feel about the world, and how we relate to others. If we experienced trauma or dysfunction along the way, it likely disrupted the pathways to these fundamental structures. Understanding our trauma is not about blame but about understanding, learning, and growing. In most cases, our caregivers did the best they could with the tools they had, often while dealing with external or internal stressors as well. With the world's increasing understanding of trauma, this paves the way for understanding and growth.

Resiliency Within celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King. This year, on Martin Luther King's Day, Dr. Brenda Ingram, who has made significant contributions to our collective understanding of Resilience, Recovery and Resistance will be my guest. She has co-authored a chapter in the book titled Black Women and Resilience: Power, Perseverance, and Public Health. The chapter she contributed Resilience, Recovery, and Resistance: Black Women Overcoming Intersectional Complex Trauma will be the focal point of discussion. When examining the pervasive issue of racism and its profound collective trauma experienced by people of color, it becomes evident that the concept of resilience may require a more nuanced definition and a broader perspective. Within communities of color, resilience can sometimes be perceived negatively when it exclusively emphasizes the psychological strength of individuals, inadvertently perpetuating the existing racism status quo. To truly address the healing process from racial trauma for communities of color, resilience must encompass an element of active resistance.

Dr. Ravii Chandra will share his wisdom and personal reflections about how we can amplify compassion to contain cruelty and abuse. Dr. Chandra's inspired words reflect what is important for all of us to remember at this time in our history. He said, The voices of all marginalized individuals and communities are profoundly important for the future because our survival and growth as a nation and world depend on empathy and compassion for vulnerability. When we see each other, when we see our own vulnerability and create connections out of the disconnections of our past, we can transform our predicament into possibility. Within this discussion, he will also share his views on models of power, from social psychology and cultural observation, and highlight what Dacher Keltner calls "enduring power," which he has modified with the need for accountability and reparation.

This is an encore episode. As we start 2024, it is a time of reflection. It is important to remember, what else is true? This lively discussion explores Dr. Church's work and how we are all designed for creativity, resilience, and joy. Award-winning author and thought leader Dawson Church, Ph.D., blends cutting-edge neuroscience with intense firsthand experience to show you how to rewire your brain for happiness. Dr. Dawson will talk about his book, Bliss Brain: The Neuroscience of Remodeling Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity, and Joy

In Bliss Brain, famed researcher Dawson Church digs deep into leading-edge science and finds stunning evidence of rapid and radical brain change. When we cultivate these pleasurable states over time, they become traits. We don't just feel more blissful as a temporary state; the changes are literally hard-wired into our brains, becoming stable and enduring personality traits.

The conclusions of Church's research show that neural remodeling goes much farther than scientists have previously understood, with stress circuits shriveling over time. Simultaneously, The Enlightenment Circuit—associated with happiness, compassion, productivity, creativity, and resilience—expands.

During deep meditation, Church shows how the 7 neurochemicals of ecstasy are released in our brains. These include anandamide, a neurotransmitter that's been named the bliss molecule because it mimics the effects of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. It boosts serotonin and dopamine; the first is an analog of psilocybin, the second of cocaine. He shows how cultivating these elevated emotional states literally produces a self-induced high.