Today, as I was scrolling through my newsfeed, a woman commenting on the Valentine’s Day mass shooting in the US said, “Another shooting and I feel nothing.”

I was horrified, but not surprised to read this.

In recent years, I have tried to avoid the constant barrage of violence being force-fed on us by the media.

I have not used my TV in over 4 years because something in me just felt uncomfortable with the continuous stream of depravity, reality shows staged to make certain vices look good, and the marketing of unwholesome products and services.

There is a reason why they call it ‘programming’, ya know.

Select YouTube channels and social media feeds have been my go-to for keeping up-to-date with vital information, learning, and news.

Yes, the world is going to hell and my condolences are with the victims and their families, but from my observation, violence and the exposure to violence only breed more violence.

Scientists and psychologists have known for decades that constant, unrelenting exposure to trauma, abuse or violence can lead to such internal fragmentation of the psyche that the brain essentially shuts down as it is unable to cope anymore. The person becomes desensitized and empathy flees.

They see this in war veterans who develop PTSD when they return from service and become easily triggered by practically anything and everything.

They also see this in children who grew up in homes where there is abuse, strife between the parents, or neglect (either physically or emotionally) from one or both parents.

PS – abuse and neglect is not just name-calling or hitting.

A parent may love their child dearly and lavish the child with gifts, clothing, education and so on.

However, if the parent is hardly physically there with the child, the child (especially when young) will suffer emotional deprivation and neglect.

The parent, unwittingly and unintentionally becomes an abuser of the child – physically (due to lack of adequate physical time with the child) and emotionally (due to inadequate emotional bonding).

This is why it is so vital that a child has ONE of its parents stay home during the early years of the child’s life, where the personality, psyche and emotional landscape is still forming.

A key defining trait of sociopathy and psychopathy is little to no empathy. Both disorders are formed in very early childhood.

Having PTSD, an abusive family of origin or a background of neglect in the family is no excuse for harming people, of course. We are all responsible for our actions and we ALWAYS have a choice in what we do.

The unending loop of constant violence and horrors broadcast to society via the media has led to a trauma on a mass level, leaving people who are exposed to it shocked, fearful, angry, accepting and then desensitized.

A person desensitized to the suffering and pain of other humans is a dangerous thing and a walking time-bomb. Such a person has shut down their empathy and could literally flip any moment, for the slightest thing. And so, more violence is born and the unending loop continues.

You will notice that since 9-11, violence and horror have been continuously broadcast by the media.

Also, since 9-11, people at large have become more short-tempered, more sadistic, more irritable, more ruthless, more callous, more aggressive, less empathetic and generally more violent. Coincidence? Methinks not!

This lack of empathy is apparent in:

people who kill on a mass scale,
increasing numbers of children torturing and killing young animals,
increasing numbers of children prompting and bullying other children online,
increasing numbers of children pushing other children online to commit suicide and broadcast it
men who suddenly walk out on their wives and families.
women suddenly abandoning their families and children for a toyboy on another continent or a childhood flame
women sexually abusing children and even their own children
the growth of perverted groups like Heart Progress, which is a paedophilic group that is actually campaigning for the rights to have sex with children.

I mean, the list of horrors just goes on and most of this is due to deactivation of empathy on a global level.

In addition, there is:

Increase in depression and anxiety
Increase in suicide rates
Increase in mental illness
Increase in PTSD and Complex PTSD, among general society, NOT JUST war veterans anymore.
Increase in health problems due to heightened cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone. Cortisol is released to help you fight or flight during danger, and is not meant to be released continuously. Long-term or ongoing exposure to violence, abuse or trauma results in your body being in stress mode all the time. This leads to depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, adrenal fatigue, mental breakdown, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

Is all this a sick social experiment in creating an even more psychopathic society? Is this a form of trauma-based mind control on a mass level?

Is all this due to demonic forces running amock worldwide?

Who knows?

So what then can you do?

LIMIT TV TIME

Both for yourself and your family. Try to avoid being subjected to continual news of horror from the media, either via TV or social media.

If you are unmarried and dating, avoid dating or even being friends with anyone who watches TV consistently. They are unconsciously being programmed and you will observe their low empathy in subtle little ways.

LISTEN TO UPLIFTING MUSIC

Fr Ripperger mentions that Gregorian music is the most uplifting and inspiring form of music.

Classical music is also the same.

These forms of music not only stimulates creativity and brain power, but also they help in your body’s production of serotonin and dopamine, which are the happiness and feel-good hormones. Low levels of these hormones will result in depression and suicidal thoughts.

Try falling asleep to Gregorian chant and you will be surprised at how much improvement it would have on your physical and mental health, as well as your productivity. You can find 8 hour Gregorian chant videos on YouTube.

CURB YOUR STRESS; REDUCE YOUR CORTISOL LEVELS

Reduce your cortisol levels by avoiding stressors as much as you can, and also by scheduling time DAILY to watch something funny, comical and uplifting such as comedy shows, children’s cartoons, children’s music, audiobooks, or even kitten and puppy videos.

In addition to reducing your cortisol levels, your serotonin and dopamine levels will also be increased.

Also, reducing your cortisol levels also has a beautifying, anti-ageing effect not just on your internal organs, but also on your appearance. Cortisol ages you and this is why people who live in stressful conditions look years older than people of the same age who do not live in stressful conditions.

HUG IT OUT

Hugging for 10 seconds or more makes your body produce oxytocin, which is a bonding hormone and increases empathy. Hug your spouse, hug your friends and if you are single and live alone, get a puppy or kitten and hug them daily. It really does have a regenerative effect on your physical and mental health.

PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM DEGENERACY AND DEPRAVITY

Monitor their online activity, their choices of friends and their screen time.

Get them involved in non-digital activities like sport, swimming, playing an instrument, playing with physical toys, team sports which can also help them develop empathy and strong bonding skills.

Plus, it has an overall boost on their health, fitness and brain power.

LOOSE THE TV

Get rid of your TV, if you can. It not only rots your brain, but also your health and your psyche.

BE BUDDIES WITH ST MICHAEL

Develop a devotion to St Michael, the Archangel.

THIS ARTICLE reveals why his presence is vital, not just for our individual preservation, but for the preservation of society, at large. He is your best form of spiritual self-defence.

LEARN SOME FORM SELF-DEFENCE

There are nut-jobs out there who would flip at anything. It might be a good idea to learn some form of self-defence to protect yourself from random crazies.

Consider self-defence classes, according to what is legal in your state or country.

If your local laws permit gun use for self-defence, by all means, get proper training in the use of these. If you live in a country like the UK, where gun use is not permitted by the general public, get self-defence classes.

PRAY THE ROSARY

Our Lady advocates this devotion for a very GOOD REASON. Try to develop a daily habit of praying the Rosary and if you are a parent, bind your children to the Rosary at the end of the prayer.

DETOX YOUR LIFE

Detox your life. Do not be afraid to go No Contact or Low Contact with anyone, family or not, who is toxic, aggressive and drama-prone. This form of negative energy builds and lingers, triggering long-term cortisol release and leading to both physical and mental health disorders.

And yes, long-term cortisol release CAN and does lead to serious illnesses like heart disease, fibromyalgia and even cancer.

We become an average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. Are your family, friends or acquaintances inspiring you, uplifting you or are they draining and depressing?

If you come away from an interaction with someone feeling tired, drained, or drained, that is your cue that the person is toxic.

Do not be afraid to detox your online life too. Delete and block are great tools for keeping toxicity, negative or abusive online contacts from wearing you down.

FOCUS ON THE 3 Ss: SANITY, SAFETY, AND SECURITY

Do whatever you can to make yourself and your family feel Safe, Sane and Secure.

Avoid or limit contact with anyone that does not make you feel these three key things, even if they are family.

Your primary rights as a human being include the right to feel Safe, to feel Sane and to feel Secure.

Family and blood ties are no excuse to expose yourself to anything that compromises these three basic human rights. If you feel conflicted about going No Contact or Limited Contact from a family member, ask yourself, “If this person was not family, would I maintain contact with this person?” and then act accordingly.

God bless and keep you all.

St Michael, the Archangel, pray for us and protect us!

MORE RESOURCES

Deliverance Prayers by Fr. Ripperger

12 Rules For Life: An Antidote To Chaos

Complex PTSD: From Surviving To Thriving

The Body Keeps The Score – a book that exposes how trauma and abuse can manifest in the body as cancer, PTSD, high blood pressure, infertility, fibromyalgia and more. As well as how to heal yourself.

ad Jesum per Mariam

🌹🙏🌹

3 thoughts on “How Violence Breeds More Violence”

Amitai Rosengart says:

March 6, 2018 at 7:23 pm

I find your writing remarkable and inspiring! Awareness in the subject is the first tool we need to promote for the sake of creating a better society. I personally have been exposed to those tips in the recent years, I apply them as much as I can. I’m happy to share that it change my life for the better.

I wrote recently a posts in the subject (a bit more militant and less constructive). I would love to hear your opinion.

https://backtoourselves.org/2018/02/22/violence-cannot-be-fought-with-more-violence-a-fundamental-lesson-for-a-better-future/

LikeLiked by 1 person

1. Paige says:
  
  March 6, 2018 at 7:49 pm
  
  Thank you so much, Amitai!
  I will be sure to check out your article!!
  
  LikeLike
  
Terence M. Stanton says:

February 27, 2018 at 8:07 pm

AMDG

Yes times a billion. Thank you once again for being blessed with an abundance of common sense, Paige.

LikeLiked by 1 person