More than half the population has experienced trauma. Research suggests a link to growing divisions in society. A Tallahassee thinker and writer believes she has some answers and solutions.
Cindy Bigbie said the problem is pretty obvious.
"We have so much disconnection in the world right now. I think most people would agree that's probably our number one issue everywhere is the disconnection. We're all in so much pain from it and underlying it all is the trauma unconsciously that we're not aware of."
But Bigbie was aware, mainly because of her work with troubled young people when she was coordinator of community connections for the Florida Justice Program.
"Working with the kids in that program, most of whome were involved in our juvenile justice system, I always wanted the people in our community to be sitting in those circles with me and having a behind-the-scenes look at what our youth are going through."
Although Bigbie said kids aren't the only ones impacted by trauma.
"The research shows at least two-thirds of us, so it's not some small segment of our population. My guess is it's probably more than two-thirds."
Trauma, she explained, that impacts just about everything in life.
"The brain research now shows if you've had trauma, your brain responds in a very particular way to keep you safe in all circumstances. And unfortunately, most of us are not really conscious that that's playing out between us in our interactions."
This led Bigbie to create the "Bigbie Method," using non-violent communication tools to promote understanding and reduce the influence of trauma. It also led her to write a book called:
"'My Link to Mildred.' Mildred is my great grandmother on my mother's side. I've had the name of this book for 25 years. I always knew I wanted to write about trauma, the impact of trauma, my family's trauma and how it shows up in my daily life."
Cindy Bigbie's "My Link to Mildred" came out in early May and is available through Amazon. She's also looking to talk about her findings before community groups and organizations.
