“How did they fit Uncle Tony into that little box?” A child’s blunt question at a funeral reveals how differently kids process death—and why honest, age-appropriate answers serve them better than comforting euphemisms.
Some losses come with casseroles, sympathy cards, and time off work. Others come with silence. Grief researcher Kenneth Doka calls this “disenfranchised grief”—real sorrow that goes unacknowledged because the mourner’s reason to grieve has been overlooked.
Grief doesn’t follow a script, even one of Shakespeare’s. Neuroscience suggests grieving isn’t so much about enduring an emotion, but more about relearning a fact your brain refuses to accept: that someone you loved is gone.
A new study by researchers at KU Leuven, in Belgium, has found that loneliness brought about by the death of a
Many who enlist in the military carry more childhood trauma than their civilian peers, new research suggests. A nationwide study found service members report higher rates of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction—hinting that enlistment may be an escape from adversity for some.
Not all trauma is created equal—betrayal by someone close cuts deeper than almost anything else. Research shows trauma inflicted by a trusted family member produces more severe psychological symptoms, complicating survivors’ need to both connect and protect themselves.
Building on previous research suggesting that people who suffer from complicated grief have difficulty recalling many of the specific memories of their past, this study looked at whether complicated grief affects thinking about the future. Their findings suggest a possible component to help facilitate recovery.
Combat alone doesn’t explain who develops PTSD—what happened before the war matters just as much. A study of Vietnam veterans found childhood abuse and pre-war psychological vulnerability were just as predictive of lasting symptoms as combat severity itself.
For some soldiers with PTSD, the real trauma may have started long before they ever saw combat. A study of Danish troops found childhood violence—not battlefield experience—best predicted which soldiers developed lasting symptoms after deployment.
You don’t have to be a therapist to help a traumatized child heal. An educator specializing in childhood trauma shares practical strategies—from safe routines to healthy stress outlets—that caregivers and teachers can use alongside professional treatment.
Trauma doesn’t just hurt a child emotionally—it can reshape the architecture of their developing brain. An educator explains how early abuse disrupts brain development and shapes lasting patterns of fear and disconnection, and why new relationships can help reverse the damage.
Resilience isn’t something you build through sheer willpower—it’s rooted in your earliest relationships. Neuroscience shows secure early attachment shapes the brain’s capacity to bounce back from stress, but adult relationships can help reshape that capacity too.
