Sheboygan County Health and Human Services Trauma Informed Care

06/03/2026

The vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body, originates in the brainstem and extends down into the abdomen. It monitors and receives information about the functioning of the heart, lungs, and other internal organs so that you can focus attention on other matters.

It is the duty of the vagus nerve to orchestrate bodily responses to keep you safe or warn you about danger before you even have a chance to think about it. Without your awareness, the brain scans the environment for cues of danger, pitching you into high alert to fight or flee or, in extreme situations, shutting you down. It also scans for cues of safety, which allow you enough calm to open you up to socially engage with others.

The vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body, originates in the brainstem and extends down into the abdomen. It monitors and receives information about the functioning of the heart, lungs, and other internal organs so that you can focus attention on other matters.

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

Major depression isn’t always easy to spot in yourself or someone you love. Use these clues to determine when treatment may be needed.

Symptoms of depression can vary from person to person. Here are some symptoms you should not overlook.

06/01/2026

In a new study, some survivors of sexual abuse saw their cancer risk double. Experts say these findings should inform patient care.

Scientists speculate that trauma can cause long-term changes in stress hormones, immune function, and inflammation that may contribute to later cancer risk.

05/31/2026

A new paper looks at how stress affects children's development, and how parents can help protect kids from harm.

05/30/2026

Emotional eating is not a clinical diagnosis or even a term with a clinical definition that all experts agree on. It’s often used colloquially in reference to eating as a way of coping with negative emotions, particularly overeating. When a person leans heavily on eating as a coping mechanism for emotions, many experts agree it is problematic, and there are healthier ways to cope.

“When emotional eating is accompanied by feelings of shame or numbness, an uncomfortable feeling of fullness, or a loss of control, you could be developing a negative relationship with food, a pattern of restrictive eating, or other disordered eating behavior,” says Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, clinical professor and director of dietetics at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Emotional eating is not synonymous with overeating or problematic eating. But if you don’t have a healthy relationship with food, or if you question whether your emotional eating is problematic, here are some red flags.

Emotional eating can be a problem if you’re using food to cope with stress or if eating leads to feelings of shame, guilt, or distress. Learn how to deal with it.