Addressing Trauma in the Modern World

Dr. Gabor Maté is certainly making good points about the factors precipitating trauma and illness in our culture. He mentioned that the medical profession is not formulating solutions based on current research, but it should be pointed out that published research is coming out in an enormous volume, and that is before AI even entered the equation. Perhaps using AI to process research and formulate treatment strategies will no doubt be on the horizon, in the near future.
 

Nathan said:
Dr. Gabor Maté is certainly making good points about the factors precipitating trauma and illness in our culture. He mentioned that the medical profession is not formulating solutions based on current research, but it should be pointed out that published research is coming out in an enormous volume, and that is before AI even entered the equation. Perhaps using AI to process research and formulate treatment strategies will no doubt be on the horizon, in the near future.
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Above all, he is saying that many doctors are themselves traumatised people, but have no way of addressing the influence this has on their lives. One of my friends is a retired GP who started out as a surgeon. He said that he went into general practice because he saw so many of his colleagues using alcohol to steady their nerves, which explains why some were almost robotic in their responses.

My experiences of caring for elderly people revealed how many were still carrying trauma from the war with them. This made me reflect on some of the strange elderly people I encountered as a child, and I was told I was "very impressionable" when I mentioned it. My own experiences of a disrupted family life at that time, as well as suffering sexual abuse outside of the family, apart from nightmares that troubled me, had traumatic effects that I only realised through personal introspection later in life.

Such issues are often suppressed, and their impact on our lives only becomes apparent through introspection or therapy.
 
seadoug said:
Very interesting that he ties the issues to "childhood wounding". I had it in spades as a young gay male, which manifested itself in depression. When I learned to accept myself the depression went away.

Thanks for sharing.
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My son's mother kicked him out of the house when he was in high school, so he came to live with me. After some time when his drug use and missing school came to my attention, he told me that he was depressed. I didn't understand, and didn't know at the time that he was gay. I offered to get him into counseling but he refused. He move out when he turned 18 and moved to L.A. I feel like I failed him as a father, but I don't know how things could have been different.
 
Nathan said:
My son's mother kicked him out of the house when he was in high school, so he came to live with me. After some time when his drug use and missing school came to my attention, he told me that he was depressed. I didn't understand, and didn't know at the time that he was gay. I offered to get him into counseling but he refused. He move out when he turned 18 and moved to L.A. I feel like I failed him as a father, but I don't know how things could have been different.
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I don't know how you could have done anything more for him. He clearly felt is was his cross to bear at the time. He's the son who has a husband now, correct? So he seems to have adjusted and you are back in his life, right? I'm sure he needed time to accept himself.
 
seadoug said:
I don't know how you could have done anything more for him. He clearly felt is was his cross to bear at the time. He's the son who has a husband now, correct? So he seems to have adjusted and you are back in his life, right? I'm sure he needed time to accept himself.
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Yes, he was out there and for the most part incommunicado for 5 years. However, one time out of the blue he showed up at my front door, I had just fried up some chicken and I think he sensed that, for afar. 🤗
 
Nathan said:
Yes, he was out there and for the most part incommunicado for 5 years. However, one time out of the blue he showed up at my front door, I had just fried up some chicken and I think he sensed that, for afar. 🤗
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I'm so glad to hear that. My mother was an absolute mess when I came out at 20 y/o. She sent me to a therapist against my will, but he told me I was perfectly fine so it actually reinforced my decision. She fought me to stay home if I wanted to go out at night. My father was much more supportive, but he came to me one day and told me I needed to move out. He did pay the rent for my apartment. The day after I moved, he came to visit and told me my mother missed me and I should pay her a visit.:)

I was with my first partner at 24 y/o for 6 years and she grew to love him so much she called him her "son" when we would go out. It truly does take time.
 

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