Thanks for the reply, Sarah. I cannot generalize from my personal clinical experience, and my post only addresses the childhood traumas of two famous/infamous characters. However, how can we explain the rageaholic behavior of so many today in our hundreds of coliseums as paid gladiators clad in armor make applaudable attempts to inflict great pain and injury on one another. Heard of CTE? I was a HS football star and my skeletal x-rays show the evidence, along with my daily pain regime. My lifelong injuries are more typical than not, but not a monster, I think. My 4 kids and ex-wives might argue that point. I've been on a lifelong healing journey, when not self-medicating with alcohol/pot. Trauma informed psychotherapy was not a thing when I was in the market. 12-step groups helped some but so many in the rooms are trauma survivors and run for cover when the subject comes up. 12-step leadership has avoided the issue assiduously to their detriment. Stats say 10%+ of all children in the US have been abused, sexually. I refer you to the brilliant, courageous work of Gabor Mate' for details, as well as Pete Walker and Bessel van der Kolk. Have a blessed day! Gregg
Although I am taking a short winter break from Substack, my sole social media outlet, your article is so important that I thought I ought to offer a comment. This subject needs greater awareness, Greeley. Childhood trauma and its social consequences.
Childhood trauma is better understood today, as is its connection to unhealthy states of mind and to a lack of development of particular and necessary human characteristics like empathy, kindness and generosity. And love.
In the worst cases, it develops to serious personality disorders. Such persons tend to be uncaring, cruel and brutal. When they become leaders, the results are always disastrous. For obvious reasons. They are driven by anger and hatred, misdirected at the wrong persons. They also hate themselves, simply because they did not know love when young. It is sad. Truly.
One of the persons who discuss this issue in detail is Dr. Gabor Maté, himself a survivor of childhood trauma, a result of the deprivations of war. Self-awareness is an important step to healing. As is forgiveness, of self and others. I also believe a connection to Nature is necessary for the process of healing to take hold and mature.
Thanks Perry and I very much appreciate your reply! I am a childhood abuse survivor and a half-assed Buddhist, so getting to a state of forgiveness (not forgetness) required the development of my compassion for my parents, other family members, all of the adults who just stood by, and a culture of brutality and denial. The path to true compassion for others has been long, but I was carried along it by my 25K+ psychiatry patients and my Better Angels. Glad you're in my small circle of correspondents. Have a blessed day/evening and great to get to know you! Gregg
When Trump won his 2nd term I immediately purchased the Rise and fall of the 3rd Reich. The similarities of Hitler and Trump are frightening and it has been difficult to read since we are living in a 2nd Trump era. I also immediately purchased the rise and fall of the Roman Empire since this all feels like end stage capitalism or a really bad pac man game of greedy billionaires stealing what little $$ is left from the bottom.
I had to stop watching the news starting on Monday the 20th. Way too much PTSD from 8 years of Trumpism. I'm terrified of what is to come along with the climate collapse, so going to just live my life since the bottom has fallen out and it will all be over soon.
Thanks for this reply and thoughtful comment. You may wish to join us climate collapse "doomers" at multiple sites on substack. But, know this, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! My first essay asserting that modern society was on the verge of collapse, just as Greece, Rome, and the many other great society collapses. That was in freshman English composition at Wittenberg U. in 1963. I just published an essay on "Greeley's Newletter" on substack: "Comparison of Trump and Hitler's childhoods and psychology", both monsters were created by childhood abuse. Have a blessed day! Gregg Miklashek, MD
I understand how childhood trauma can precede behavioral issues throughout life.
But what about all those who experienced a similar childhood but didn't grow up to become monsters? Do they purposefully try to heal or is it a matter of circumstances post-childhood? What path is more common?
Now two months into Trump's presidency those with any sense of history should be seeing the relevance of what you write about. Trump and Hitler have a lot in common psychogically, but what they now have is that both have a Gestapo and SS at their command.
Thanks for the reply, Sarah. I cannot generalize from my personal clinical experience, and my post only addresses the childhood traumas of two famous/infamous characters. However, how can we explain the rageaholic behavior of so many today in our hundreds of coliseums as paid gladiators clad in armor make applaudable attempts to inflict great pain and injury on one another. Heard of CTE? I was a HS football star and my skeletal x-rays show the evidence, along with my daily pain regime. My lifelong injuries are more typical than not, but not a monster, I think. My 4 kids and ex-wives might argue that point. I've been on a lifelong healing journey, when not self-medicating with alcohol/pot. Trauma informed psychotherapy was not a thing when I was in the market. 12-step groups helped some but so many in the rooms are trauma survivors and run for cover when the subject comes up. 12-step leadership has avoided the issue assiduously to their detriment. Stats say 10%+ of all children in the US have been abused, sexually. I refer you to the brilliant, courageous work of Gabor Mate' for details, as well as Pete Walker and Bessel van der Kolk. Have a blessed day! Gregg
Although I am taking a short winter break from Substack, my sole social media outlet, your article is so important that I thought I ought to offer a comment. This subject needs greater awareness, Greeley. Childhood trauma and its social consequences.
Childhood trauma is better understood today, as is its connection to unhealthy states of mind and to a lack of development of particular and necessary human characteristics like empathy, kindness and generosity. And love.
In the worst cases, it develops to serious personality disorders. Such persons tend to be uncaring, cruel and brutal. When they become leaders, the results are always disastrous. For obvious reasons. They are driven by anger and hatred, misdirected at the wrong persons. They also hate themselves, simply because they did not know love when young. It is sad. Truly.
One of the persons who discuss this issue in detail is Dr. Gabor Maté, himself a survivor of childhood trauma, a result of the deprivations of war. Self-awareness is an important step to healing. As is forgiveness, of self and others. I also believe a connection to Nature is necessary for the process of healing to take hold and mature.
Thanks Perry and I very much appreciate your reply! I am a childhood abuse survivor and a half-assed Buddhist, so getting to a state of forgiveness (not forgetness) required the development of my compassion for my parents, other family members, all of the adults who just stood by, and a culture of brutality and denial. The path to true compassion for others has been long, but I was carried along it by my 25K+ psychiatry patients and my Better Angels. Glad you're in my small circle of correspondents. Have a blessed day/evening and great to get to know you! Gregg
Likewise, Gregg. We are helped and healed by others along our journey to healness and wholeness.
Looking up Alice Miller's book now.
When Trump won his 2nd term I immediately purchased the Rise and fall of the 3rd Reich. The similarities of Hitler and Trump are frightening and it has been difficult to read since we are living in a 2nd Trump era. I also immediately purchased the rise and fall of the Roman Empire since this all feels like end stage capitalism or a really bad pac man game of greedy billionaires stealing what little $$ is left from the bottom.
I had to stop watching the news starting on Monday the 20th. Way too much PTSD from 8 years of Trumpism. I'm terrified of what is to come along with the climate collapse, so going to just live my life since the bottom has fallen out and it will all be over soon.
Thanks for this reply and thoughtful comment. You may wish to join us climate collapse "doomers" at multiple sites on substack. But, know this, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! My first essay asserting that modern society was on the verge of collapse, just as Greece, Rome, and the many other great society collapses. That was in freshman English composition at Wittenberg U. in 1963. I just published an essay on "Greeley's Newletter" on substack: "Comparison of Trump and Hitler's childhoods and psychology", both monsters were created by childhood abuse. Have a blessed day! Gregg Miklashek, MD
I understand how childhood trauma can precede behavioral issues throughout life.
But what about all those who experienced a similar childhood but didn't grow up to become monsters? Do they purposefully try to heal or is it a matter of circumstances post-childhood? What path is more common?
Now two months into Trump's presidency those with any sense of history should be seeing the relevance of what you write about. Trump and Hitler have a lot in common psychogically, but what they now have is that both have a Gestapo and SS at their command.