Discussion Questions
When pediatric patients needing vaccinations entered their fear brain, Dr. Harris took note of how their caregivers responded. When you see a child acting out of their fear brain, do you function as a buffer between them and stress?
Does a better understanding of the observable effects of stress and trauma on the brain make a difference to you as you work in ministry?
It takes time for communities to learn and understand new research. How do you see people in your community growing in their understanding of the negative effects of toxic stress?
Respond to the following quote: “To treat the root of the problem I had to look at both stories my patients’ symptoms were telling me: the story on the surface and the story underneath” (p. 61).
Choose 2 parts of the brain discussed in this chapter and explain how toxic stress affects them.