Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy
-
0:12 - 0:14Can anyone explain to me
-
0:14 - 0:17why we spend millions
and millions of dollars -
0:17 - 0:20on educating about
drug prevention, -
0:20 - 0:22don't take drugs
because they're bad for you. -
0:22 - 0:25And allowing parents
to worry themselves sick -
0:25 - 0:27about will my child
get into drugs -
0:27 - 0:30because they mix
in a bad company. -
0:30 - 0:32They don't have
to worry at all. -
0:32 - 0:38People are addicted to drugs,
because of their pain. -
0:38 - 0:41So they are not going to do it
because they're in bad company. -
0:41 - 0:44It just because they have
suffered some trauma, -
0:44 - 0:47and it's not an easy thing
to solve and heal from. -
0:47 - 0:49Let's take an issue
that the last two speakers -
0:49 - 0:50have both talked about:
-
0:50 - 0:52mental illness.
-
0:53 - 0:57Across a research,
academic search -
0:57 - 1:01over the hole of research
into this area in 2005: -
1:01 - 1:0769.9% of psychiatric inpatients,
-
1:07 - 1:09with serious psychotic disorders,
-
1:09 - 1:11you probably guessed,
-
1:11 - 1:15yes all of them had suffered
from childhood trauma. -
1:15 - 1:17Bipolar disorder was mentioned.
-
1:17 - 1:2282 to 86 % of people
with bipolar disorder, -
1:22 - 1:25have suffered from some
form of childhood trauma. -
1:25 - 1:27Border personality disorder:
-
1:27 - 1:2990% have suffered.
-
1:29 - 1:32Then let's talk about the one
that we have been million, -
1:32 - 1:3679 million dollars last year spent
on raising awareness of: -
1:36 - 1:38depression.
-
1:40 - 1:42How many people
who suffer from depression -
1:42 - 1:46do you think have suffered
from childhood trauma or abuse? -
1:46 - 1:4980%, research tells us.
-
1:49 - 1:53And how many of you here
have heard one word -
1:53 - 1:55about what's happened
in your childhood, -
1:55 - 1:59and might help you to heal
from your depression or anxiety. -
1:59 - 2:00So what we are doing,
-
2:00 - 2:04raising awareness, so that we can
feed the pharmaceutical companies! -
2:04 - 2:07So that people can take
more medication! -
2:07 - 2:08Because after all in Australia,
-
2:08 - 2:12we take more anti-depressants
than any other country in the world. -
2:15 - 2:18I work with survivors
of childhood trauma, -
2:18 - 2:20and I know from
my independent research, -
2:20 - 2:24that four years after
just a five-day program, -
2:24 - 2:26there is a highly
statistically significant — -
2:26 - 2:28can never say that word,
-
2:28 - 2:31highly statistically
significant reduction in depression. -
2:31 - 2:33Six months after
a five-day program, -
2:33 - 2:39a 45% reduction,
in measured serious mental illness. -
2:39 - 2:41So what's the silence?
-
2:41 - 2:43Why don't we talk about this?
-
2:43 - 2:45Why we not allowed
to acknowledge childhood trauma? -
2:45 - 2:48Why we not encouraged
to heal from childhood trauma? -
2:48 - 2:50What we know,
because of neuro-plasticity, -
2:50 - 2:51that this is possible.
-
2:52 - 2:56Let me discover one other
area of deep human sadness. -
2:56 - 3:00An area that we all
care passionately about, -
3:00 - 3:03and when it hits us,
it really, really hurts. -
3:04 - 3:06And I'm talking about suicide.
-
3:07 - 3:09How agonizing it is.
-
3:09 - 3:11The young women I work with
-
3:11 - 3:13at Heal For Life;
-
3:13 - 3:15I have one common complaint
when they go to hospital -
3:15 - 3:17having tried to kill themselves:
-
3:18 - 3:21nobody ever asks why?
-
3:22 - 3:23And if they did
-
3:23 - 3:27they will get the same answer
from all those young people. -
3:27 - 3:30Because of my internal pain
from my childhood. -
3:30 - 3:32Because I think I am worthless,
I worth nothing. -
3:32 - 3:35Because no one cares
about the fact that I've been abused. -
3:36 - 3:39And if I look at them, Esperance
-
3:39 - 3:40which in the Central Coast
-
3:40 - 3:43runs a wonderful suicide
prevention service. -
3:43 - 3:45Tony Humphrey,
wrote to me and said, -
3:45 - 3:48"Around 90% of all the women,
-
3:48 - 3:50who have attempted suicide
-
3:50 - 3:51who I have worked with,
-
3:51 - 3:53have ever suffered
from sexual abuse -
3:53 - 3:56or child abuse of some type.
-
3:56 - 3:58And a slightly lower
percentage for the men." -
3:58 - 4:00So have any of you,
-
4:00 - 4:03ever seen anything
about suicide prevention, -
4:03 - 4:06which is talked about
what happened in your childhood? -
4:06 - 4:09Has there been a campaign
which has said, -
4:09 - 4:11"Ask a friend
when they're down. -
4:11 - 4:13What happened
in your childhood? -
4:13 - 4:15Talk to me about
your childhood. -
4:15 - 4:18Because that is
very, very likely, -
4:18 - 4:21to have an impact
on your current mental well-being." -
4:22 - 4:24So maybe for a moment
some of you maybe think -
4:24 - 4:27"What she keeps talking
about childhood trauma and abuse? -
4:27 - 4:28What actually is it?
-
4:28 - 4:32Childhood trauma
covers a huge spectrum. -
4:32 - 4:34It covers abandonment,
death of the parents, -
4:34 - 4:35alcoholic parents,
-
4:35 - 4:37childhood sexual abuse,
physical abuse, -
4:37 - 4:39emotional abuse.
-
4:39 - 4:43It covers of course
natural disasters. -
4:43 - 4:46What happens
when a trauma occurs? -
4:46 - 4:49A trauma is more emotion
than the brain can deal with. -
4:50 - 4:53Trauma, at the time it is happening,
-
4:53 - 4:56the person,
in an age-appropriate way -
4:56 - 4:58thinks that their life is threatened.
-
4:58 - 5:01And the brain reacts to this trauma
-
5:01 - 5:02and develops differently,
-
5:02 - 5:07which is why childhood trauma
has a much bigger impact on behavior later -
5:07 - 5:09and the whole way the brain
operates later in life. -
5:10 - 5:12Trauma cannot be remembered.
-
5:13 - 5:15Let me give you
an example of this, -
5:15 - 5:17and that's because
the conscious brain -
5:17 - 5:20shuts down during trauma.
-
5:20 - 5:22You may remember
or you may not. -
5:22 - 5:24Princess Diana's bodyguard,
-
5:24 - 5:27after they were try to find out
what actually happened in the accident, -
5:27 - 5:29they hypnotized,
-
5:29 - 5:31the French police
hypnotized the man -
5:31 - 5:32so that he could remember.
-
5:32 - 5:34So that part of his brain
could be unlocked. -
5:34 - 5:39So that he could say what actually
happened at that moment of impact. -
5:40 - 5:42So I suppose
my great wishes -
5:42 - 5:45that this silence
could be broken. -
5:46 - 5:49And I have hope that
this silence can be broken. -
5:49 - 5:51Because 40 years ago,
-
5:51 - 5:53there was the big C,
-
5:53 - 5:54there was cancer.
-
5:54 - 5:56No one talked
about cancer, -
5:56 - 5:58we didn't mentioned it,
-
5:58 - 6:01it was just,
"They have got the big C!" -
6:01 - 6:02But now wonderfully
-
6:02 - 6:03everyone talks about cancer.
-
6:03 - 6:05We know people
who have suffered from cancer. -
6:05 - 6:08We talk to them,
we encourage them, we love them, -
6:08 - 6:10and they tell us immediately
when they have cancer. -
6:10 - 6:13Can you imagine how it would be,
-
6:13 - 6:15if in my lifetime —
this is my longing, -
6:15 - 6:17that people talk
about childhood trauma. -
6:17 - 6:19That is Ok to say,
-
6:19 - 6:21"I had a terrible childhood.
All these things happened." -
6:21 - 6:23And the other
person listening says, -
6:23 - 6:26"Let me support you.
Let me help you in your healing. -
6:26 - 6:29Let me help you
work through what is happened -
6:29 - 6:30for the development of your brain,
-
6:30 - 6:33because you suffered
from childhood trauma." -
6:34 - 6:37Wouldn't that be
a better world for all of us? -
6:37 - 6:39Because what is creating
this silence? -
6:39 - 6:41Is the embarrassment?
-
6:41 - 6:43Is it shame?
-
6:43 - 6:45Are we shamed by the stigma?
-
6:45 - 6:46Because we are not allowed to know
-
6:46 - 6:49when there is a rape victim,
the name of the rape victim. -
6:49 - 6:53As if in some way
that rape was their fault! -
6:53 - 6:58Why is it that all the concentration
is on stranger danger, -
6:58 - 7:01and church abuse?
When that's about 1% of all abuse! -
7:01 - 7:05Abuse happens in the home
and it happens to families. -
7:06 - 7:08But every single one of you here,
-
7:08 - 7:10can help change that.
-
7:10 - 7:14If each one of you
help me in my big idea. -
7:14 - 7:15If each one of you
-
7:15 - 7:18who's actually suffered
from childhood trauma says, -
7:18 - 7:20"I have no reason
to be ashamed of it. -
7:20 - 7:22It wasn't my fault.
-
7:22 - 7:25It wasn't my fault
for my childhood was not perfect. -
7:25 - 7:27And I deserve
love and support." -
7:27 - 7:29If those of you when you meet,
-
7:30 - 7:35someone who's addicted
from gambling, alcohol, drugs, -
7:36 - 7:37if you say them,
-
7:37 - 7:39"Hey, has anyone
ever discussed with you -
7:39 - 7:40what happened
in your childhood? -
7:40 - 7:45Do you think you might like
to heal from your childhood?" -
7:45 - 7:47If only with any moment
the mental illness -
7:47 - 7:49you could say them not just —
-
7:49 - 7:51which is a wonderful campaign,
but, "Are you Ok?" -
7:51 - 7:52but,
"Hey do you want to talk about -
7:52 - 7:54what happened
in your childhood? -
7:54 - 7:57Because I understand an awful
lot of people with mental illness -
7:57 - 7:59have suffered from some form
of childhood trauma. -
7:59 - 8:01Talk to me about it.
-
8:01 - 8:04Every single one of you
could do that. -
8:04 - 8:07Every single one of you
can help me achieve my big idea. -
8:07 - 8:08Every single one of you
-
8:08 - 8:11can get involved
with the Heal For Life foundation, -
8:11 - 8:14and help us to make this world
a happy place. -
8:15 - 8:17I leave you with
one final thought. -
8:19 - 8:22I wonder what it would
have happened to this world, -
8:22 - 8:25if someone
had healed Adolf Hitler, -
8:25 - 8:28from his much acknowledged
child abuse. -
8:28 - 8:29Thank you.
-
8:29 - 8:30(Applause)
- Title:
- Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy
- Description:
-
In this talk, Liz Mullinar, tries to show the audience that childhood trauma are the first cause of mental illness and the reason why people are addicted to drugs, alcohol and gambling, etc. "People are addicted to drugs because of their pain." she says. Liz then asks the victims of childhood trauma to break their silence, and call the other people to give them their support and their help to heal from their illness.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 08:33
Dimitra Papageorgiou edited English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Tulio Leao commented on English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Tulio Leao edited English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Tulio Leao edited English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Tulio Leao edited English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Tulio Leao approved English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Daniel Cosovanu edited English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy | ||
Daniel Cosovanu accepted English subtitles for Treating the core problem of childhood trauma: Liz Mullinar at TEDxNewy |
Tulio Leao
Transcription and sync OK, I just corrected some missed or misheard words on transcription.