AIM September 2022 Issue : simplebooklet.com

Authentic Insider | Page 02Dear Readers,Annnnd we are back to regularly scheduled programmingas we transition out of summer and into fall. This month, in our Prosecutor’s POV, Kathryn Marshexamines the role bullying plays in students’ lives, andhow to talk to kids to avoid becoming a victim or the bully.In Gen Z’s POV, Daniela Ghelman speaks with formerMarjory Stoneman Douglas student, Michael Robb, andthe fear students face adjusting to the new school year. To arm teachers or not? That’s a big question weighing onmany people’s minds. Trauma Educator Karen Grossshares why arming teachers with the emotional tools tosupport their students can be more valuable thanweapons.People committed to treatment are vulnerable and caneasily be taken advantage of. Unfortunately, there havebeen reports of abuse amongst some of the most well-known facilities. Author Lora DeVore painfully describesthe trauma she experienced with institutional abuse.And how do you cope with crippling anxiety? EmotionalEmpowerment Coach Tara Swann explores how followingyour energy can allow you to heal trauma. Cali Binstock provides a Healing through Art Prompt bymapping your emotional parts. As in any other issue, we have your AIM Playlist to getback to the Grind, along with my picks for children andadult books. Plus, check out Joy Larkin's Twin FlameReadings to see what to expect for September.Always, Lorilee BinstockLorilee BinstockEditor in Chief

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CombattingBullying“We have got to dispel thismyth that bullying is just anormal rite of passage”Barack ObamaAcross the country schools are startingback up, and with the start of schoolcomes an increased risk for bullying,often through cyberbullying.Traditional bullying and cyberbullyingare closely related and often happeninterchangeably. Bullying impacts achild’s ability to do well in school andcreates a greater risk of depression andsuicide for teens. Teen suicides are onthe rise, especially among youngwomen. It seems almost monthly weread or hear a news story about ayoung person who committed suicidedue to bullying. To reduce the risk of bullying relateddepression, anxiety, and suicides wehave to understand the problem.According to the National Center forInjury Prevention and Control "Bullyingis unwanted, aggressive behavioramong school-aged children that involves a real or perceived powerimbalance. The behavior is repeated, orhas the potential to be repeated, overtime. Bullying includes actions such asmaking threats, spreading rumors,attacking someone physically orverbally, and excluding someone from agroup on purpose."Bullying is not simply teasing. It is notsomething we should be telling ourchildren to suck up or ignore. Bullying isthe repeated behavior that puts ourchildren’s physical and mental well-being at harm. Cyberbullying includesposts or messages intended tointimidate, threaten, or humiliate thevictim. Cyberbullying can also include“doxing” – the publishing of someone’spersonal or private information, so thateven their home is no longer a safeplace.When we think about traditionalbullying that happens within the schoolwalls, we need to keep in mind that this By Kathryn Marsh Prosecutor's POVAuthentic Insider | Page 08

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"With phones, online gaming, and tablets there is noescape for the child who is being targeted."bullying is often recorded and postedonline. With phones, online gaming, andtablets there is no escape for the child whois be targeted. The bullying doesn’t endwhen the child walks outside of the schooldoors at the end of the day, but oftencontinues 24/7 online. With technology, bullying isn’t limited tothe physical bully but rather to everyonearound who shares a video, post, orcomments. Nobullying.org cites that 81%of teens admit that bullying is easier to getaway with when it is done online. And theharm caused by cyberbullying is real.Nobullying cites that 20% of kids who arecyberbullied think about suicide. “Peopledon’t realize how badly verbal harassmentand cyberbullying affect you. I wish theyhad hit me in the face and gotten it overwith, because what they said to me, sticksto me this day. It affected me into theperson that I am today,” according toactor/musician,Demi Lovato. The risk of harm from cyberbullying oftenstarts younger than we might think. Youngpeople between the ages of 12-15 are mostlikely to be victims of cyberbullying.Although there is very little differencebetween the bullying rates of girls andboys, 23.7% to 21.9% respectively, ourtransgender teens are being cyberbulliedat rates of 35.4%, and the rate ofcyberbullying experienced by LGBTQyouth was 50% higher than that of non-LGBTQ youth. (see Cyberbulling.org).As a parent, what can we do to protect ourkids from cyberbullying or prevent our kidsfrom being the bullies? When it comes tocyberbullying, in general, the first thing todo is talk to your children. It is importantfor them to understand the risks ofbullying and the long-term harm andpotential fatal outcomes it may have. Veryrarely does a child engage in bullyingbehaviors thinking it can cause depression,anxiety, or suicide. Have the conversationAuthentic Insider | Page 09

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"Consider creating a technology contract aboutwhat is and is not acceptable online behavior."before bullying is an issue. If we don’tengage our young people early, lateelementary school and early middle school,we may have already missed our window.Consider creating a technology contractabout what is and is not acceptable onlinebehavior. Make sure your children knowthat if they come to you about bullying, youwill believe them and help them takeappropriate action.When it comes to recognizing if your childis being bullied, it is important to know thewarning signs which may include: Signs ofdepression; unexplained anger orfrustration; withdrawal from friends andfamily; unexpectedly stops using theirdevices; appears nervous or upset whenusing their devices; suicidal ideation;frequently asks to stay home from school orcalls from school asking to be picked upearly.If you discover your child or loved one ofbeing bullied you should talk to them first- what do they want to see happen? Makesure they understand they get to be a partof the process, assuming of course thattheir physical well being is not at risk.There are a number of avenues familiescan take. It can start as simply as blockingthe bully from all devices, or If you knowthe bully and their family, reach out andhave the conversation. If that doesn’t workor you don’t know the family, contact theirschool. Most often cyberbullying involvesanother student, and due to the increaserise in cyberbullying over the last fifteenyears, most schools have a safety plan anda course of action for cyberbullying. If thebullying includes damaging rumors orphotographs posted online, contact theInternet Service Provider (ISP) or SocialMedia platform for their assistance ingetting the offending material takenAuthentic Insider | Page 10

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down. In cases involving minors, social mediaplatforms and ISPs are generally able to assistwith the removal quickly. If you are unsure ofwho to contact or how to request having thematerial removed, the National Center forMissing and Exploited Children can help youat cybertip.org or NCMEC.org. Lastly, when thebullying is harmful and includes actualthreats, blackmail, or sexual exploitation, thepolice should be contacted. There arenumerous charges available to protectchildren that include: Electronic Harassmentof Minors; Cyberbullying; Sextortion andIdentity Theft statutes. Police can help inidentifying the bully. If the bully is unknown,authorities can also help in having offendingmaterial removed from the internet.But what about if your child is the bully? Howwould you know? Some signs that your childmay be engaging in cyberbullying are:Increased use of their electronic devices;switching screens or hiding their device whenyou are nearby or come in the room; avoidsdiscussing what they’re doing online; getsunusually upset if you take away their device;has multiple online accounts or accounts inIf you would like to learn more aboutbullying and cyberbullying resources forfamilies include: National Center forMissing and Exploited Children;Netsmartz; CDC; Stopbullying.gov;Kidshealth.org; Cyberbullying.org andNobullying.org. Youtube also has manyanti-bullying videos for tweens and teens.different names; overly concerned aboutpopularity; increased insensitivity or lack ofempathy for others; violent tendencies.What should a parent or loved one do if theydiscover their child is the bully? First, have theconversation. Make sure they understand whythis behavior is wrong and the pain it causes.Make sure there are consequences. How manyof us remember having to go back to the storeand tell the clerk about the candy bar wewalked out with? I remember having to dothat at about age 4 and it is something I willnever forget. Have your child own theiractions, starting with admitting their behaviorand apologizing to their victim. Otherconsequences can include removal of devicesor only supervised usage of electronic devices.If the bullying includes threats, blackmail, orsexual exploitation, the consequences mayinclude suspension, legal penalties, andrestitution. Regardless of the level of offense,getting to the root cause of the bullyingbehavior is important. Consider counselingand therapy for your child. Authentic Insider | Page 11

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Back toSchoolFear hile growing up in a broken yet admiringand full of uncertainties country, my high schoolwas where I felt the safest. Outside thoseconcrete walls that contained my classmatesand me during our entire learning - and mostgratifying - years, blood ran down from thestreets of Caracas. Not quite literally, but it wasincreasingly common to hear how violence wastaking the lives of people in my country. Povertywas the main reason. Survival, the second. Thiswas highly frequent among low-incomecommunities; the ones affected the most by thestupid, incoherent and corrupt decisions of myso-called government. But not a single day did I imagine or fearsomeone entering my school with a gun andshooting at my classmates and professors. Yet Ifeared other things like being re-kidnapped orrobbed on my way to school, but imagining orworrying about getting killed in my classroomwas off-limits. I think it was when I moved to the United Statesat 18 that I started understanding massshootings and this country's broken gun policysystem. Still, every time I hear there's a newshooting at a school (or in any other placereally), my heart skips a beat at the thought ofhow the place where a kid should be the happiest and most free, is, inthis first-world country, the place where they need tobe scared the most. I escaped a dictatorship because the streets of myhometown were extremely dangerous, but now I seemyself in a country where so far this year, there havebeen over 314 mass shootings. The other day, I went tothe gas station because my car ran out of gas. I wascontemplating the excruciating amount ofWritten by Daniela Ghelman Gen Z POVWAuthentic Insider | Page 13

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1 9money I had to pay when a man approached mefrom behind. He wasn't homeless, in fact, he wasfueling his car too. But then he started asking mewhether I was married and incoherent stuff that arandom guy at a gas station shouldn't be asking a22-year-old girl. My first response was to turnback and keep minding my own business. Butwhen he said, "Hey, I'm talking to you," in anaggressive tone, I knew there was a possibility hewas holding a gun. I got in my car and left as fastas my nerves allowed me to. But in schools, it’s a whole different story. It'sunthinkable, and yet we have seen it happen, thata child's worries have to go beyond getting theirhomework done or trying to make friends atschool. Rather, schools are starting to make children wear bulletproof vests while learningtheir alphabet. So basically, a K12 kid must learn What was meant by "going back to school" as anexciting event in every child and parent's lives is nowmore of a constant wondering of whether the bestchoice is to leave the children at home or send themto school. how gun policies work in this country beforelearning to read and write. Nope, I don't thinkthat's normal.What was meant by "going back to school" as anexciting event in every child and parent's lives isnow more of a constant wondering of whetherthe best choice is to leave the children at homeor send them to school. I'm far from being a mother, but I have a littlesister who's still in high school. I don't want tothink about it but putting her in the situation ofcovering her face with the blood of who used tobe her best friend, so the gunman won't shoother, is out of this planet. Yet, it did happen inthe mass shooting at Uvalde, Texas, on May 19.And, if gun policies in this country remain thesame, we'll keep seeing it happening.Authentic Insider | Page 14

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1 9The Parkland shooting, to name one of the many,happened four years ago on Valentine's Day duringthe last period of school. The fire alarm went off 10 or15 minutes before dismissal, and when students andteachers evacuated without understanding what washappening, they heard the deadly gunshots. Michael Robb, then a junior at Marjory StonemanDouglas High School, remembers it all: the sound ofgunfire, the immediate silence, and then the chaos,uncertainty and trauma that followed. An ordinaryday at school turned out to be the scariest thingRobb, and his classmates, ever endured. His worldwas turned upside down forever."This is the kind of thing that they always tell youabout, and you're always like 'oh, this probably won'tever happen,' and then, it ended up happening," saidRobb. He walked me through the moment he heard thegunshots until he got home safe at 7 pm, five or sixhours after the tragedy. He remembers parentseverywhere looking for their kids, the tears, thescreams, the sobbing, the fear. From that momentuntil many days later it was impossible to sleep forobvious reasons, but also because there were "Our lives were shakenoff by the failure of thesystem, and we wereyoung kids living withtrauma” - Michael Robbhelicopters flying over the small city of Parkland. Acity so small that Robb didn't even talk about itbefore the shooting because no one would knowwhere it was. Now, he doesn't even botherbringing the name "Parkland" to the table. Hedoesn't like his little hometown being rememberedthat way. His whole high-school experience ismarked by the seconds he heard the gunshots.Although school activities remained after twoweeks of the shooting, the entire vibe changed,and nothing was ever the same at StonemanDouglas. Yes, teachers and staff did a remarkablejob trying to leave the tragedy behind and helpingstudents succeed as best they could. They evenbrought therapy dogs on campus and founded amental health center to help students andteachers cope. But in addition to the 14 studentskilled that day, two others committed suicide thefollowing year simply because they couldn't bearthe burn. "Our lives were shaken off by the failure of thesystem, and we were young kids living withtrauma,” he said. “I don't think anyone should gothrough what we went through.”In the days and months that followed, there were alot of fights between friends and people breakingup because they took different political sides. Notevery relationship stayed intact."Our recovery, while it did bring a lot of good, leftsome destruction on its way," said Robb. "Noteverything was healed. But overall, most of thecommunity grew from what happened and hasbecome stronger."There's no explanation or logical reason behindthe shooting. But the truth is that Congress has Authentic Insider | Page 15

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1 9passed new legislations and laws and much moreawareness has been raised about gun control inAmerica since then. And if there's somethingRobb has learned about the shooting is the senseof unity and resilience of a whole community. From the moment the shooting happened,parents took kids they didn't even know to theirhouses, providing them shelter. Robb went to afriend's house until night when the streets wereclear and he was able to get home. And in thememorial services, kids from his school and otherschools attended."This brought everyone together because noneof us wanted to suffer alone, and we foundstrength because we were all going through thesame thing. What happened was horrible. Butwhat happened because of the horrible situationis worth considering."Rob said it’ll be many years before we can resteasy since the gun-control policies are deeplyrooted in the system. “But I think things arelooking up, especially with the bipartisan law thatwas just passed," he said.The bipartisan law passed by Congress in June isthe most significant gun measure in almost threedecades. The law, which was signed by PresidentBiden one month after the shooting at the schoolin Uvalde, allows for a more extensivebackground check for gun buyers under the ageof 21, gives funding for mental health centersand drug courts, and allows authorities toconfiscate guns from someone who seems toodangerous to possess them. "It's a shame what happened," said Robb. "Butwhat has come out after like the March for OurLives and the laws passed at the state andfederal level, it's kind of empowering to see thatafter so much despair and horror, so much goodhas come from it. I like to think that thebipartisan law was passed because of whathappened,” he said.

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Despite the efforts made at the state andfederal levels to improve gun control policies inthe country, there are other things that Robb, and many others, disagree with. Robb thinksthat allowing teachers to hold firearms withthem in school is an ineffective and impracticalsolution, as well as making children wearbulletproof vests in classrooms. "There's a midway point that you have to getto," he said. "Kids should be aware of what canhappen because these killers don't discriminate.It had happened at elementary schools all theway up to universities. It can happen to all andwe have to accept that." Robb said that his major takeaway from whathappened is that "when you come together, andyou hear each other out and support eachother's well-being, a lot more can get done. Itsucks, but the worst in people brings out thebest.""WE GAVETHISMONSTERONE DAY OFOUR LIVES;WE CAN'TGIVE HIMMORE." - MICHAELROBBAs soon as the shooting happened, Robb knewhe had to take care of his mental health. Thebest coping strategy he had was to constantlytell himself, "we gave this monster one day ofour lives; we can't give him more." When I asked him, what can he tell peopleabout his experience, he said:“It can take decades, but the healing doeshappen, and it will happen. And one day, you'llreach a point where you have to consciouslythink about it, or it will just come randomly intoyour head again, and you'll realize that you havethe power not to necessarily forget about it butto overcome it and migrate into a new normalwhere you don't have to think all the terrifyingthings that come with the trauma. The peoplethat are not with us anymore would like us tobe happy and not give any more days to thehorror and cruelty that happened."Authentic Insider | Page 17

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But, I am worried about the presence of guns inschools and in the hands of teachers. I amworried about walls and gates that makeschools seem and appear like prisons.Here’s why. I am not convinced that thesemeasures will save students when adetermined shooter seeks to kill. Yes, it makesit harder to get inside the school. Yes, itprovides weapons as a defense. But, I am notconvinced that those defensive shooters(teachers) will hit their intended target,especially in a moment of stress. Even trainedsoldiers and police officers miss their mark onmany occasions. And, locked guns can sadly beunlocked by clever folk — including studentsand parents and intruders.ARMING TEACHERSB Y K A R E N G R O S S , A U T H O R , E D U C A T O R &C O M M E N T A T O R recent article in Axios referencesnced the efforts in various states to armteachers and provide arms in schools. Forexample, a school district in North Carolina isplacing AR-15’s in school safes for easy access ina time of emergency. This is the weapon usedby the shooter in Uvalde if memory serves.In Ohio, teachers are allowed to carry guns withwhat I consider minimal training (24 hours).I get the concerns about school safety. I getthat once safe places are now considereddangerous. I get the trauma of schoolshootings; it is among the work I do in terms ofhelping schools and those within them dealwith traumatic events. AAuthentic Insider | Page 19

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2. We need to give educators opportunities for self-care and we need to listen to them when they saythey need the help of administrators or counselorsor parents. Educators cannot do this complex jobalone and as I often say: education happens inmany places and spaces of which the classroom isbut one. So, since you can’t pour from an emptycup or a cup replete with holes, we would be wiseto allow educators to replenish their proverbialcups. And, for the record, the summer may nothave done that for all educators as they restart theschool year 2022–2023. My own recent experiencewith self-care is detailed here (and it is not an easyread)Look, let’s get real here. People are unravelingmentally right now. We have a mental health crisisamong other crises in our world — and the issues areprevalent among individuals, organizations,cities/towns, states and nations. A recent term struckme with respect to our world from an excellentthough depressing article by Bryan Alexanderreferencing that we are living in a time of “polycrisis.Arming Teachers With Something Else:1. Rather than arming educators and schools withweapons, I want to suggest three other things withwhich we would be wise to “arm”educators/schools. And, like guns, some requiretraining/education before use, although none of theideas I am suggesting can lead to imminent death.Consider this a starter list. We need to arm teacherswith the tools to deal with trauma and the re-regulation of dysregulated students. This can servea preventative function too. These skills are neededas more and more students at all ages and stagesare “losing” it in and outside the classroom. Here is apiece (a tad lengthy) on how to enable re-regulation), most particularly in the context oftrauma generated behavior. This seems like a vastlybetter set of skills — that do not need to be keptunder lock and key — for educators. "We need to arm teacherswith the tools to deal withtrauma and the re-regulationof dysregulated students."Authentic Insider | Page 20

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Arms Does Not Mean Arming:I think we are mistaken in terms of what “arms”our teachers need to help our schools and thestudents within them. They don’t need gunswith real ammunition. They need assistance asjust described above and they need arms — as inhuman arms to embrace them figuratively andperhaps even literally — to allow them to fill theircups and provide the content and social-emotional learning our students need. (Notethat content learning is only a piece of thelearning our students need.)So, let’s put down our “arms” in the form ofguns and lift up our “arms” in terms of caringand respect and assistance. We can and shouldarm our teachers with the arms to be the besteducators they can be in times of crisis.Weapons can’t do that.And, how do we keep schools safe? That’s thesubject of another blog but creating prisonswith guns isn’t the solution. Start by thinkingabout mental health, early warning signs,sufficient counseling and improvedfamily/home life in all dimensions.3. We need to honor the educators who havestayed employed. Sure, we are giving bonusesto new educators to get them into the system.But, what have we done and what are we doingto recognize the toll of the past 30 months onour teachers? How are we supporting them?How are we giving them voice? With threeother educators, I have been running theVirtual Teachers Lounge to help fill that gapwhile also providing webinars for educatorsthrough Delta Kappa Gamma (the womeneducators’ honor association). To helpeducators, we have done call in hours foremergencies and special calls of support asneeded. But this isn’t enough. (The VTL (whichis free to educators) will re-launch in Sept. 2022and information will be on our website:www.virtualteacherslounge4 today.)"We can and should armour teachers with the armsto be the best educatorsthey can be in times ofcrisis. Weapons can’t dothat."

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InstitutionalAbuse: TheSmells ofHumanSufferingDARKNESS WAS MY CANDLE: ANODYSSEY OF SURVIVAL AND GRACE.WRITTEN BY: LORA DEVORE ix decades ago, I was committed as a court ordered patient to ElginState Hospital in Illinois. I’ve carriedthe smell of suffering since thatday. You can’t forget that kind ofassault to the senses––the smell ofdried feces, urine, bruised, druggedbodies, ongoing terror, and abuse. It came back as an assault on mysenses like the smell of rottengarbage, the day I returned sevenyears ago.A fault line cracked open my long-held grief, opening me up to wavesof outrage and sadness. There waslittle beauty left to anchor my grief SAuthentic Insider | Page 24

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or the earth’s sorrow in this place of nearly two-hundred years of human misery. I lay full-bodied on theearth, in need of solid ground. The earth’s mourningreached up to join my own grief for the girl I had oncebeen and for all living beings, who suffered on thatproperty. For the next hour, deep tidal waves movedthrough my heart, my muscles, my guts, and outthrough every pore and cell. Earthquake shudderspassed through me as the horror and violence done tome, and so many others, came to mind. I was nowstrong enough, and had lived long enough to be able tofully see what had happened to me for what it was, as Ivomited it out like an animal, a low keening wail thattook my breath away.The tears and deep wracking sobs continued to comethroughout that day and into the following week atunexpected moments. I wept for all those buried in thecemetery with unmarked graves and the babiesburied with no names. I raged about theinadequate resources and everything that had keptthe employees at Elgin from doing a decent andhumane job. I thundered in fury about Illinois StatePsychiatric Institute that had at least seventy-fivetimes more resources and staff because of theirresearch dollars. I spit out fury about the staff at ISPIwho sent me to Elgin to punish me for being aconfused college student who refused to takeunnecessary drugs. I cried in grief and anger at thepharmaceutical companies that exploited animalsand humans in the name of science, compassion forthe employees of Elgin State Hospital. I cried forthose who had lost themselves as they worked insuch soul-numbing circumstances for an honestwage, in a system of cruelty, broken stories, brokenpromises, broken hearts and lives. I wondered justhow much it must have cost them.If not for the moralcourage and persistenceof a nurse, SydneyKrampitz, I would havedied in Elgin like somany others. I wept for all thoseAuthentic Insider | Page 25

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If not for the moral courage andpersistence of a nurse, Sydney Krampitz, Iwould have died in Elgin like so manyothers. Prior to our visit together there,we had conducted research at the statecapitol and found a report titled. "PatientDeaths at Elgin State Hospital: A reportby the Illinois Legislative Commissiongiven to the Illinois General Assembly in1974. We learned that the commissionhad been formed to investigate untimelyand unexpected deaths of patients aftercomplaints were filed by family members.This report revealed an appalling historyof Elgin. The wards were chronicallyunderstaffed: at times, there was oneattendant for a ward of 50-150 patients.There was a shortage of physicians andnurses, frequently leaving one nurse ordoctor, per 300-500 patients. The doctorswith very few exceptions had "limitedlicenses and experience." Most could onlypractice in a state hospital as anewcomer to the United States. None ofthem had psychiatric training. Untrained attendants dispensed themedications. Patients were frequentlyoverdosed as I had been. Charting wasoften missing and lacked significantdetails in all areas of patient care. Anurse was seldom seen on the ward,usually early in the morning andappeared to have little to do withpatients.Severe overcrowding was common, alongwith physical deterioration of buildings,poor staff morale and outright abuse ofpatients. There was an over reliance onrestraints and seclusion and the overuseof drugs: particularly, Chlorpromazine (CPZ), marketedunder the trade name Thorazine, anantipsychotic consistently used to controlthe overcrowded wards. Thorazine was seenas providing a similar effect as a frontallobotomy, rendering patients immobile,lethargic, and emotionally disengaged. Thisdrug caused severe constipation–– bowelruptures and sepsis. Throughout the Cold War our nation usedthousands of vulnerable, unsuspectingcitizens as research subjects: newborns,institutionalized children, African Americans,Native Americans, prisoners, mental patients,and our own military. You can’t go to a place like Elgin StateHospital and come out the same. At least, Icouldn’t. Not the first time as a patient, andnot so many decades later, as a visitor. Thefirst time I left Elgin, I had a small, brownpaper bag just big enough to hold a two-by-four inch envelope with pills and my state-issued toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb.The bag was too small to hold much ofanything, but it was too large to hold whatlittle remained of the young woman whoheld the reverberations of a judge’s gavelshuttering through the geography of herentire body. You can’t go to a place like ElginState Hospital and come out the same. Ididn’t the first time, I came out with a lotless of myself. This time, I left with something much biggerthan a small bag, bigger than a suitcase,bigger than Elgin State Hospital. I left withoutrage and compassion wrapped togetherin a large prayer bundle for the world and forall those who have never had a voice.

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G u i d a n c eEmotionalSource as a direction for realignment. Anxiety is heightened when youdon’t allow this emotional energy to move through you.Chronic anxiety was my life from the age of about 12 to 31 years old. Itwas something I identified as having, something I thought I’d have tolive with my entire life. It stopped me from living authentically. I wouldcancel on friends, avoid social events unless under the influence, andsome days I simply did not want to leave the house. I was too afraid toventure out on my own even though that’s all I craved. This led todepression, addiction and mental & emotional self-abuse. I’m going to give you a different take on anxiety that maybeyou’ve never heard before…Anxiety arises in the suppressing of emotions gifted to you from By Tara Swann, Emotional Empowerment CoachAuthentic Insider | Page 28

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It started with simple practices suchas gratitude, journaling, sporadicmeditation practice and movement. Ialso shifted my diet to balance mygut health which is directlyconnected to the brain affectingmental health. This all helped, but itwasn’t enough. I came to realize that everything I waspracticing was surface level and onlymaking part of an impact as it wasnot in harmony with what washappening in my subconscious. Your subconscious dictates 95% ofyour behavior which is mostly formedbetween the ages 0-7. Meaning theexperiences you grew up with, thebeliefs you were taught, the lessonsfrom your parents, teachers andsociety, all shape your behaviortoday. What you may not realize isthose experiences, beliefs and wereI sought help from doctors andtherapists with no success. Itwas always the same story. Irefused medication because Ididn’t want to depend on drugsfor my sanity, even though I wasdabbling in many differentsubstances at the time – gofigure! It could have continued on adownward spiral had I not foundsupport in a community ofwomen dedicated to holistichealing. This was my turningpoint. At this point, I’d had mysecond baby boy and my anxietywas worse than ever. I now gotto use him as an excuse to notleave the house. I knew deepdown I wanted to be better, notjust for myself but for my boys. Ididn’t want to be an example ofdefeat for them. "I refused medicationbecause I didn’t wantto depend on drugs formy sanity, even thoughI was dabbling in manydifferent substances atthe time – go figure!" Authentic Insider | Page 29

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buried in my subconscious, mostlyfrom childhood. It might also helpto explain what emotions areexactly…Emotions are not good nor bad,positive nor negative. These arejust labels. If you can begin to seeemotions for what they are, ithelps to allow & accept them,which is crucial to free yourselffrom them. Emotions are energy. They arevibrations that arise in certainsituations in your life, whetherhigher vibrations (joy, love,appreciation) or lower vibrations(guilt, shame, fear). As thesevibrations are produced and felt inthe body, you have a choice… youcan either FEEL them all the waythrough, or you can suppressthem. When you feel them, theyrelease & are temporary. When you suppress them, they remain.When they remain, they can becometrapped, manifesting as othermental, emotional and even physicalillness or dis-ease. Suppressing themis generally not something we doconsciously, it is taught and habitual.The good news is, with practice,habits can be changed. So, what I’m saying here is that in thereleasing, neutralizing andtransmutation of existing emotions,you could effectively free yourself ofanxiety. Which was the case for meon more than one occasion.I had a fear of speaking, so much sothat when I started my business ittook me 6 months to work up thecourage to simply send a voicemessage to a friend. I remember ayear or so into my business, I "Emotions are not goodnor bad, positive nornegative. If you can beginto see emotions for whatthey are, it helps to allow& accept them, which iscrucial to free yourselffrom them." Authentic Insider | Page 30

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and I could show up to the livetraining with absolute clarity andconfidence. Basically, that anxiety was anindication that something was out ofalignment within my subconscious.When I aligned both my intentionwith my subconscious in releasingthose emotions, I could moveforward with love, excitement andconfidence. This also leads me into emotionalguidance. Your emotions are gifts,superpowers if you will. They are anenergetic indication of youralignment or misalignment. Forexample, when you’re feeling lowervibrational emotions, this couldmean something needs addressingwithin you or the action you’re announced I was going to hold a freelive training. After announcing it, awave of anxiety came over me. I waspacing my house, not knowing whatto do. I was thankful for my coach atthe time who said to me, “Thoughtsare attached to feelings. When yourelease those feelings, yourthoughts will disappear as a by-product”. So, I sat with my anxiety,felt into my body and felt where thatenergy was being stored. I allowed itto move through me and releasefrom me. As soon as it was released,I found clarity. That fear of speakingwas attached to trapped emotionsof inadequacy and shame, stemmingfrom a childhood experience. It wasa beautiful realization. The mostincredible part about this, after I’dprocessed that emotion, my anxietydisappeared,"When I aligned both myintention with mysubconscious in releasingthose emotions, I couldmove forward with love,excitement andconfidence." temporary. When temporary. When temporary. When temporary. When Authentic Insider | Page 31

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about to take is not in alignmentwith your truth. It could also be anindication that a value of yours isbeing crossed… You couldexperience loneliness, because youvalue connection. On the flip side,you could experience joy when yougo on adventures, in which youvalue. Higher vibration emotions areindications of your alignment withyour truth & your values.When we are conditioned to believewe need to live a certain way, look acertain way, BE a certain way, basedon parental or societal beliefs orexpectations, we may constantly liveout of alignment with our truth, ourvalues. Causing much disharmony inthe body, mind and oursubconscious, leading to anxiety. The solution is to do the inner work.Remembering that thesubconscious dictates 95% of yourbehavior. It is the awareness ofwhat’s happening within that yousee any real shifts. And when youcan connect to your truest self,underneath the layers ofconditioning, you can reconnect toyour emotions and USE them asguidance to realign time and timeagain. THIS is how you become emotionallyempowered. "Higher vibrationemotions are indicationsof your alignment withyour truth & your values." temporary. When Authentic Insider | Page 32

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Authentic Insider | Page 48 The beginning of September may be atime when you are feeling down, andmaybe overwhelmed, but that doesn'tmean it has to last!Check out these tunes to pump you upfor productivity. So press play and takeon the world. And DON'T forget toschedule some fun! You got this! "Run The World (Girls)" - Beyoncé"We Are Young" Fun. Ft Janelle Monae"Despacito" - Luis Fonsi Featuring DaddyYankee"Someone to You" - Banners "Bad Habits" - Ed Sheeran"Hall of Fame" - The Script "Chandelier" – Sia"No such thing" by john mayer"Teenagers" - My Chemical Romance"Young Dumb and Broke" - Khalid"Kids in America" - Kim Wilde"Drops of Jupiter" - train"High hopes" -panic at the disco "Cigerette Daydreams" - Cage the elephant"Something Just Like This" - Chainsmokers &ColdplayAuthentic Insider | Page 36

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Mental health affects everyone. Here are just a few books to help kids understandemotional and learning challenges.Cora is constantly worrying about everything. Because ofthis, the Whatifs love her. They sneak up to her and giveher all kinds of doubts: big or small, silly or frightening,likely or impossible. As she prepares for an upcoming pianorecital, the Whatifs cling on tighter and drag her down,making her anxious about messing up during the concert.Will she be able to change her worry-filled thoughts intohopeful ones?Each of us, from the day we're born, is accompanied by aspecial companion—the Yet. Can't tie your shoes? Yet! Can'tride a bike? Yet! Can't play the bassoon? Don't worry, Yet isthere to help you out.The Magical Yet is the perfect tool for parents andeducators to turn a negative into a positive when helpingchildren cope with the inevitable difficult learning momentswe all face. Whether a child or an adult, this encouragingand uplifting book reminds us that we all have things wehaven't learned...yet! *I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Authentic Insider | Page 39Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type ofsuperpower. She has friends with super speed (who alwaysbeat her in races), friends with super strength (who candangle from the monkey bars for hours), and friends whoare better than her at a million other things. Nalvanathinks she must be the only kid in town without asuperpower. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she isunique and special, and that her superpower was right infront of her all along.

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Mental Health, Memoir & EmotionalSupport Books(Adult)Is there just one “you”? We’ve been taught to believe we have a single identity, and tofeel fear or shame when we can’t control the inner voices that don’t match the ideal ofwho we think we should be. Yet Dr. Richard Schwartz’s research now challenges this“mono-mind” theory. “All of us are born with many sub-minds―or parts,” says Dr.Schwartz. “These parts are not imaginary or symbolic. They are individuals who exist asan internal family within us―and the key to health and happiness is to honor,understand, and love every part.”One year after the birth of her youngest son, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer.In the blink of an eye, she saw just how far away she was from living a life she actuallywanted. She had spent her entire adult life trying—and dying—to be a good mother. Asshe battled through months of chemotherapy, illness, and recovery, she realizedsomething: it was time to start living. Not for others—but for herself. The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers—men and women who have used itto achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bringto light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcomingobstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.*I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Authentic Insider | Page 40

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The month of September is a time for healing and recovery that can be in every area of your life. Old wounds from childhoodcould be resurfacing. Retreating and going into nature will be really good for many of you. Radical acceptance andsurrender should be put in practice in your love life as well as work/career. Lean onto support from your inner circle if youfind it necessary.It will be good to retreat and spend time alone to focus on yourself. Some people could be meeting new friends, which maycome at a good time because many will be outgrowing old ones. A spiritual awakening is happening for some and there’s aneed to trust the process. Although, it's hard to trust something when results cannot be seen. It's time to walk by faith and notby sight.Patience is another theme. Work on any inner demons you could be facing. Couples, you both are working to improve yourlives, which will strengthen the relationship. Remember, self-love is necessary in finding genuine love. Be sure you and yourpartner are communicating your feelings at all times. For singles, you could be meeting a person who has a loyal heart. Theywill love you unconditionally. This will be your soulmate and will meet in divine timing. Someone is going to be getting theirwishes fulfilled, but there needs to be patience. I know sometimes we want it now, but I feel like what you desire is coming indivine timing.After dealing with a heartache and loss the collective will be overcoming any pain. Everything happens for a reason andsome lessons are learned the hard way. I saw deception and envy around many of you. Please be sure that you are reallycareful who you have around. Some people are watching you and could be giving you an evil eye. There is a new beginningthat is coming to you. Be mindful of people who could be trying to distract you. Be careful to stand your ground to protectyour energy.In general, I am seeing that justice will be served in your life. Karma will come around for those who did good and individualsthat were not so good. Those who are on a spiritual path you could be feeling alone but understand you can call on a higherpower. Someone could be watching you or few could be thinking about a new life they want to experience.For life, advice is saying to trust in the magic in life. Be sure to watch your words because they do create your reality. Alwaysremember to give with gratitude.Monthly Collective Readings for All Signs Joy is a Narcissistic AbuseSurvivor who has made it her life'swork to help others through lifecoaching. She is also a healer,earth angel and psychic medium.If you would like coaching servicesfrom Joy and/or get your ownpersonal reading, please scan thebarcode below with yoursmartphone camera.READINGSPersonalINFOCoachingAuthentic Insider | Page 41