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Improving Mental Health Through Sport �(Part 2)

Dr. Carlian Dawson

KAMH

July 1, 2023

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Arizona Center for African American Resources (AZCAAR)

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Make you feel bad or sad
Shame you
Blame you
Attack you
However, some of you may feel “triggered”

It is NOT my Goal to

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Arizona Center for African American Resources (AZCAAR)

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To Inform you
Make you aware
Advance your body of knowledge on the impact trauma has on sport

What I want is…

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Review of Part 1

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What is trauma?

It is a Psychological, Emotional Response to an Event or an Experience That is Deeply Distressing or Disturbing.

(Bruce Perry, 2018)�

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A key question when someone is really “going off” is not necessarily “What’s wrong with you?”, but “What happened to you?”�

Five Facts about ACEs

1. ACEs are common and experienced by most people.
2. ACEs are associated with adult physical and mental challenges.
3. ACEs do not occur alone. If you have one, it’s likely you have more.
4. The more ACEs you have, the greater risk you are for chronic physical and mental challenges, and prone to addictions and violence.
5. ACEs are responsible for a large portion of workplace absenteeism and for costs in healthcare, emergencies, mental health, child welfare and criminal justice.

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Trauma’s Impact on the Body

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Conceptual model of the impact of trauma on

Child(ren) health outcomes and disparities.

Kathy Sanders-Phillips et al. Pediatrics 2009;124:S176-S186

(Weathering Effect)

(Allostatic Load)

Arline Geronimus, University of Michigan coined this term for chronic stress -- ”weathering” literally means to wear down your heart, your arteries, your neuroendocrine systems, all of your body systems so that in effect, you become chronologically old at a young age.

It’s not that every Black person has more damage than every white person, it’s really how much stress versus social support you get in your everyday life. African Americans and low-income Americans are more likely to suffer more of these stressors, they are more likely to be weathered, weathered severely and weathered at younger ages. The weathering hypothesis states that chronic exposure to social and economic disadvantage leads to accelerated decline in physical health outcomes and could partially explain racial disparities in a wide array of health conditions. This is repeated exposure to socioeconomic adversity, political marginalization, racism, and perpetual discrimination can harm your health. Constant stress damages your body.

McEwen and Stellar, 1993 --- the cumulative effect of experiences in daily life that involve ordinary events (subtle and long-standing life situations) as ell as major challenges (life events), and also includes physiological consequences of the resulting health-damaging behaviors, such as poo sleep and circadian disruption, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and unhealthy diet. When environmental challenges exceed the individual ability to copy, allostasis. Allostatic Load – The cumulative burden of chronic stress and life events. It involves the interaction of different physiological systems at varying degrees of activity. When environmental challenges exceed the individual ability to copy, then allostatic overload ensues.

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The Power Differential

When two people come together, one (coach/parent/teacher) may feel more dominant than the other (student/child).

Typically, the adult is the one with more power. Whomever, is the person at the top, will feel more control than the other; while the person on the bottom may feel less comfortable.

We are social creatures. We watch for cues verbal and non-verbal. We look for signs/cues that tell our relationship to each other.

Our brain always monitors what other people around us are doing. What’s funny, is that our brain will focus on the negative vs. listening to the positive. That’s because the job of our brain is to keep us safe!

Coaches/Parents/Teachers have to learn that “how you give feedback is critical and it must be given like it’s informative and not criticism. That’s why I like to give feedback as just that or constructive feedback vs. constructive criticism. Criticism has the potential to hurt.

A leader that spends time with their athletes gives them power to make decisions and the Power Differential becomes more balanced. Police have a Power Differential. One police personnel can control a group of people. The leader can’t/shouldn’t let their dysregulation be impacted by what’s going

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The Impact on Our Engagement

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At Least 1 Stable, Caring and Supportive Relationship�

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What Questions Do You Have?

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About Our Speaker

Carlian.Dawson@AZCAAR.org

602-896-9000

Dr. Carlian Dawson has more than 40 years broad-based experience as a principal (retired), educational and executive business consultant, director of diversity for a major land grant university and a non-profit director. She develops and facilitates training for educators and business professionals at every level.

Dr. Dawson has invaluable experience as one of the developers and Master Trainer-of-Trainers for the Neurosequential Model for Caregivers (NMC) with the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) for the AZ ACEs Consortium.

Dr. Dawson has a steady approach and a reflective nature which makes her approachable by all. One of Dr. Dawson’s greatest strengths is her willingness to provide input and ask clarifying questions thereby establishing a positive culture and climate leading to personal and professional success.

A graduate from Grand Canyon University, Dr. Dawson also has Masters’ Degrees from Arizona State University in both Multicultural Education and School Administration and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Illinois State University.

Carlian is a part of the electrical engineers of Sundstrand where, as a member of 3-person facilitation team, lead this group to develop the varible speed drive which now hangs on 90%+ of all airplanes in the world.

She’s been married for 37 years to Roy, and they have 7 children and 9 grandchildren and she is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

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Resources

The Neurosequential Network - https://www.neurosequential.com
Dawson, C., Holt, D., 2023. Black Trauma: What Happened to Us
ACEs Connection - http://www.acesconnection.com/
Arizona ACEs in Action - http://www.acesconnection.com/g/arizona-aces-in-action
National Child Traumatic Stress Network – http://www.nctsn.org/
Harvard Center for the Developing Child - https://developingchild.harvard.edu/
Strengthening Families Protective Factors - https://www.cssp.org/young-children-their-families/strengtheningfamilies/about
Arizona Trauma Institute - https://aztrauma.org/
Stacey Patton, 2017. Spare the Kids Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America. Beacon Press, Boston, Massachusetts.
Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., 2014. The Body Keeps The Score Brain, Mind, and body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books, New York, New York.
Bruce Perry, 2019. Neurosequential Model in Caregiving.