Essay On Superheroes Save Your Mind

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Superheroes Save Your Mind
Nearly 60% of adults confirm that they suffered some manner of traumatic experience during their childhood (SAMHSA, 2011). At a young age, they were not aware of murder, kidnappings, or sexual assault, but they believe in a just, fair world. Imagine a little boy no older than five, peacefully playing in his room when suddenly he hears the front door burst open followed by the screams of his father and consecutive gunshots. His mother runs to him and hides him, reassuring him that everything is fine. More gunshots follow and absolute silence lurks as the assailant’s footsteps fade away. The little boy emerges from his hiding spot only to see his mother in a pool of her own blood. To a young, innocent child this scene is too much to take in. He may question what happened, and he may wonder why his parents are not waking up. Ultimately, he cannot comprehend the loss and this shatters his world and leaves him lost (Brody 173). Because that world was shattered by a traumatic event, getting through to him can be a difficult task for a therapist. That trust in the world is now gone and feelings of helplessness leave a lasting impression (Brody, 173). This is an all too familiar story. It is very similar to the superhero Batman’s origin story. Given these similarities, that child is able to identify with Batman and use him as a role model. By using superheroes, a child can identify with using those characters as a means of communication, a therapist can easily establish a more comfortable setting in which a child can express how he or she views an experience and his or her troubled emotions. This medium of communication also provides an opportunity for the child to find a path to escape that torment and to conti...

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...mplete. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
Rubin, Lawrence, Harry Livesay. "Look, Up In The Sky! Using Superheroes in Play Therapy." International Journal of Play Therapy 15.1 (2006): 117-133. PsycARTICLES. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.
---. "Our Heroic Adventure: Creating a Personal Mythology." Journal of Creativity in Mental Health 4.3 (2009): 262-271. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
--- . "Superheroes and Heroic Journeys: Re-Claiming Loss in Adoption." Journal of Creativity in Mental Health 1.3 (2005): 237-252. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
---. "Superheroes on the Couch: Exploring Our Limits." Journal of Popular Culture 45.2 (2012): 410-431. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Helping Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events. SAMHSA, 2011. PDFfile.

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