Trauma, how the body rebounds and the mind is razzled

Trauma is a specific psychic wound originating from some terrible experience(s). The body’s primal fight or flight system worked effectively to keep you alive. And thank goodness for that. However, the complex human brain after trauma can be left overwhelmed or helpless. Trauma can cause a variety of mental health problems including in relationships, mood, shame, insecurity or anxiety. You might even feel as though you are broken or crazy. What you’re contending with more specifically is the aftermath of something profoundly important that went missing. These missing experiences are all about human connection. They can include being properly loved and cared for, and being safe, supported or believed in a vulnerable state. Even though the body is alive and okay, it gets trapped in primitive movements and states that were meant to be temporary. It’s sort of like driving a car with a small spare tire after a flat- it’s great for emergencies, but fails with daily use.

Do I have Trauma? 7 questions to ask yourself

It’s estimated that 70% of people will experience at least one trauma in their lifetime. Chances are you’ll experience one if you haven’t already. Unfortunately, terrible things happen that can result in feeling stuck, powerless and fearful. However, not everyone going through something terrible ends up with PTSD or trauma symptoms. So what’s the difference? Here’s some questions you can ask yourself:

1) Did you go through a terrible experience? This may not be recent or obvious, but can include childhood trauma, such as being raised in an abusive or alcoholic family system, or events that are normalized for some but horrible for you, like childbirth or chronic pain.

2) What was your psychological state during and after? Were you active or passive? Could you effectively fight back, advocate or express yourself? Afterwards, did you feel alone or were you supported and believed?

3) Do you feel detached from your body or dissociate? Do your mind and body feel disconnected? Trauma numbs out and overrides the body’s feedback, emotions and needs. So, if you have trouble identifying feelings and needs or honoring personal limits, this might be a result of the body’s survival override mechanisms trying to keep you safe.

4) Do you blame yourself for what happened? Do you feel like you should have done something better or differently to prevent the bad thing from happening? When rational explanations fail to answer ‘why did this happen to me?’, often the mind fills in the blanks with self-blame.

5) Do you find yourself coping with substances, or addiction to media, work, shopping or food? As noted above, trauma severs the the mind- body connection. When this happens we often search for fulfillment elsewhere, as with sex, food, drugs and so on. Other reckless, impulsive or self-destructive behaviors can be associated with trauma responses.

6) Do you experience more mood swings, irritability, angry outbursts, depressive spells or periods of anxiety than usual? A mind-body disconnect can numb, distort or mask emotional signals. The body cannot selectively numb, so pleasant emotions are numbed out as well. This can look like lack of fulfillment or trouble enjoying things. If emotions aren’t expressed and land somewhere, they’ll come out sideways as in an angry outburst.

7) Do you notice problems concentrating, focusing or staying on task? Or issues with memory? Part of the being stuck in a traumatic state is hypervigilance. This can feel like always being ‘on guard’ or scanning the area for threats.

If most items on this checklist is true, you may be suffering from the effects of trauma.

What’s the difference between Trauma and PTSD?

Responses to trauma range widely depending on how an individual responds, their history and other traumas. Trauma is a broad term that can include experiences like childhood trauma, community violence, bullying, and racial injustice that don’t meet specific criteria for PTSD. PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms include the checklist above and also include other symptoms of distressing flashbacks, dreams or nightmares of the event, avoidance of reminders of the event and self isolating.

How to heal tender wounds of the soul

Research and common sense indicate trauma symptoms exists in the body and should be treated there as well. Somatic therapy for trauma involves calming and regulating the nervous system and coming back into safety. Somatic treatment slowly awakens the stuck or frozen parts through activating and reorienting. In sessions we might practice with gentle movements, work with sensations or use of visualizations. The language of how the body remembers good and bad experiences is through the five senses. Every single body that holds trauma also holds specific resources and tools, the keys needed to heal. Much like thorns on a cacti, our body has defense that need to be understood and handled with care.