Somatic Trauma Healing
Navigating the Depths of Trauma: Understanding, Healing, and Thriving
Introduction:
Trauma, a profound and often silent force, casts a long shadow on the tapestry of human experience. Defined by the American Psychological Association as "an emotional response to a terrible event," trauma's impact extends far beyond the initial occurrence. This article embarks on an exploration of what trauma is, its origins, and the multifaceted effects it casts on the body, mind, well-being, and even success. We'll delve into different types of trauma and illuminate pathways to healing.
Understanding Trauma:
At its core, trauma is an emotional wound, a response to experiences that overwhelm an individual's ability to cope. These experiences can range from acute incidents like accidents or assaults to chronic conditions such as abuse or neglect. Trauma disrupts the sense of safety and security, leaving an indelible mark on one's neurobiology. Trauma can manifest in various forms—physical, emotional, or psychological. Its genesis lies in experiences that exceed the individual's capacity to assimilate and process, leading to a fragmentation of the self. Whether sudden and shocking or cumulative over time, traumatic events imprint on the nervous system, altering the way the body and mind respond to the world.
How Trauma Occurs:
Not only is modern stressful life inherently traumatizing due to its fast-paced expectations that don’t allow for sufficient time and space to discharge stress, but Trauma can be passed down through our family lineage epigenetically as well. Trauma can leave a chemical mark on a person's genes, which can then be passed down to future generations. This mark doesn't cause a genetic mutation, but it does alter the mechanism by which the gene is expressed. This alteration is not genetic, but epigenetic. Living with trauma can impact every area of our lives, from relationships to health, confidence, and even our success in the world.
What many people don’t realize is that trauma is not the event itself but it is in fact the dysregulated state of our nervous system that is the result of what happened to us. Because that traumatic stress was never properly processed and discharged, it starts to cause pain and tension in our body which only compounds over time.
Unresolved trauma and stress shift our neurobiology into a state of survival (also known as the Sympathetic Nervous System State (SNS) that impairs the function of our neurobiology because it believes it’s under threat. With a highly active sympathetic nervous system, the body remains in a heightened state of stress, even in the absence of immediate danger. This can lead to a range of physiological and emotional symptoms.
Trauma or stress of any kind causes a shift in our nervous system, which is completely normal. The problem, however, arises when that stress is not properly processed and discharged from our nervous system, and instead, it starts to accumulate. In a healthy, well-regulated nervous system, a stressful event creates an activation that motivates us to deal with the threat we are experiencing. For example, if we are chased by a dangerous animal, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in to help us survive. This is sometimes referred to as the “Fight or Flight, Response,” and it pushes us to either fight the tiger or get the heck out of there.
If we are living in a chronic state of survival, the brain is trained to look for imminent danger. It deprioritizes the normal function of our body and instead stays on high alert anticipating danger, which has tremendous negative implications for our overall health and wellbeing. Imagine if you left your car running for long periods without any maintenance or appropriate recharging. Eventually, it would just run out of fuel and stop. Your nervous system operates similarly; it needs refueling, charging, and regular maintenance to function optimally.
The opposite of Survival is being in ‘Rest and Digest’ relaxed state. This is when our neurobiology shifts into the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) . PNS is responsible for the body's rest and digestion response when the body is relaxed, resting, or feeding. It basically undoes the work of sympathetic division after a stressful situation. The parasympathetic nervous system decreases respiration and heart rate and increases digestion, helping the body return to a normal function which also aids in the body’s innate ability to repair and self-heal. When we are in a rest and digest state, the brain and body work in harmony to secrete the required hormones and distribute blood to organs so they can heal any damaged tissue and help the body repair.
Impact on the Body, Mind, and Well-Being:
The effects of trauma reverberate throughout the entire being. Physically, trauma can manifest as chronic pain, sleep disturbances, or even autoimmune disorders. Mentally, it often gives rise to conditions like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or C-PTSD (Complex Post-traumatic stress disorder that is often a result of chronic long-term exposure to stressful situations that we couldn’t escape from e.g. experiencing mental, emotional or physical abuse or neglect in childhood). Well-being becomes a fragile construct as trauma infiltrates the core of one's identity, influencing relationships, self-perception, and the ability to engage with the world.
Additionally, chronic stress causes us to experience the world around us as dangerous and threatening. When we hold onto traumatic stress in our body, it impairs our capacity to feel love and connection to other people. We might resort to various avoidance behaviors in an attempt to maintain a sense of 'safety.' However, this misguided perception of safety through avoidance only gives rise to more profound challenges related to feelings of loneliness and a pervasive sense of emptiness. Creativity is often diminished too and we lose access to playfulness, pleasure, and joy. Over time, unresolved trauma slowly robs us of life. On paper, life may look pretty normal, surviving, paying bills, and getting things done. But deep down we may feel frozen, stuck in states of anxiety, terror, or avoidance that mute our ability to be fully present in the moment.
When we are in a state of survival on a chronic basis, we may live but not quite fully living.
Examples of Physiological Trauma Symptoms:
Digestive issues (e.g. stomach upset and trouble eating)
Dysregulated and disturbed sleep
Chronic fatigue
Chronic pain and tension
Accelerated heart rate (heart palpitations), rapid breathing, feeling shaky
Excessive Piloerection (goose bumps)
Perspiration (sweating)
Severe headaches and migraines
Increased blood pressure
Not keeping up with exercise, diet, safe sex or—regular health care
Executive functions of the brain are impaired (brain fog, lack of focus, inability to make a decision…)
Examples of Emotional Trauma Symptoms:
Mood, mental outlook, ability to regulate emotional states
Panic attacks, flashbacks, and nightmares
Persistent dread and fear of recurrence
Frequent anxiety
Depression
Avoidance of emotions, sensations, or activities
Avoidance of people
Lack of Motivation, Procrastination, and perfectionism
Self-abusive behaviors (cutting, extreme nail-biting…)
Indulging in maladaptive coping strategies (addictions to alcohol, over-eating, drugs, porn and others…)
Lack of Self-esteem, Worthiness issues
Diminished Self-trust and impaired Self-confidence
Living in a persistent state of urgency
Attracting abusive partners; inability to read red flags
Trauma's Reach into Success:
Trauma can cast a long shadow over personal and professional success too. The imprints of past wounds may manifest as self-doubt, fear of failure, or an underlying belief in one's unworthiness. These barriers, rooted in trauma, may hinder individuals from realizing their full potential and impede their journey toward success.
In my psychotherapy practice, I frequently encounter women who have embraced the entrepreneurial journey, drawn by a meaningful purpose and the aspiration to contribute to others. Many grapple with an inner conflict, torn between the desire to make a significant impact on the world and the tendency to restrain themselves, hindering visibility, confidence, and concentration. These individuals often find themselves navigating between procrastination and workaholism, teetering on the edges of burnout.
If the foundational trauma is not dealt with, individuals may find themselves caught in these states for extended periods, potentially spanning months or even years. This prolonged cycle can significantly hinder their capacity to thrive, communicate their message effectively, and receive the rightful compensation for their endeavors.
Different Types of Trauma:
Trauma is a nuanced landscape, encompassing various forms and origins.
Acute trauma refers to a single, often intense, and distressing event or a series of events that occur within a short time frame, typically over minutes, hours, or days. Unlike complex trauma, which involves prolonged and repeated exposure to adversity, acute trauma is characterized by its sudden and immediate impact on an individual's physical, emotional, or psychological well-being. Examples of events leading to acute trauma may include natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, a serious car accident, sudden loss of a loved one, or experiencing or witnessing a violent crime. In the aftermath of acute trauma, individuals often require immediate support and intervention. This may include medical attention for physical injuries, crisis counseling for emotional well-being, and ongoing mental health support to process the experience and prevent the development of long-term consequences, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Complex Trauma (Chronic trauma): Complex trauma refers to prolonged exposure to multiple traumatic events, often within relationships where there is an expectation of trust or caregiving. These experiences can be interpersonal, such as repeated abuse or neglect, and they typically occur during formative periods of life.
Developmental Trauma: Developmental trauma focuses specifically on disruptions and adversities during critical stages of development, primarily in childhood. These experiences can interfere with the acquisition of essential skills, emotional regulation, and the formation of secure attachments.
Healing from Trauma:
Healing from trauma is a courageous and transformative journey. Different types of trauma necessitate tailored approaches, but common threads weave through the process. Therapeutic modalities like Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) offer paths to unraveling the knots trauma weaves in the mind and body. Mindfulness practices, expressive arts, and somatic therapies provide avenues for reconnecting with the self and fostering resilience.
What Trauma Therapy Can Help With
Trauma therapy can help you not only process the traumatic memories and free yourself from flashbacks but it can also help you cope with triggers and anxiety. These are some common forms of trauma that therapy can address; however, it’s important to note that trauma can include any event or experience that causes emotional or psychological harm that overwhelms the individual’s capacity to cope.
Abuse
Abandonment
Accidents
Bullying
Crime
Death of a loved one
Divorce
Domestic abuse or violence
Homelessness
Illness
Injury
Job loss
Life-threatening circumstances
Natural disasters
Near death experience
Neglect
Racism
Sexual assault
Terrorism
Violence
Witnessing an accident, death, or traumatic situation
Trauma stored in the body has to be addressed at the body level, which means that we need to speak the body’s language; - Sensation. Because trauma communicates a lack of safety to the brain, we need to restore a felt sense of safety within the body. We do this through the use of sensory information; - touch, sound, sight, taste, smell. As we tap into what we are sensing in our body, our mind becomes more present, centred and relaxed. This allows our nervous system to discharge the traumatic stress and bring us out of survival and into the ‘rest and digest’ state.
Conclusion:
Trauma, though formidable, is not an indomitable force. Understanding its origins, impact, and the diverse ways it manifests opens doorways to healing. Recognizing the resilience within oneself and seeking professional support are crucial steps on the path to reclaiming agency and rewriting the narrative of survival into one of thriving.
In my private practice, I focus on strength-oriented trauma treatment model that includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic (body-centered) psychology, mindfulness-based therapies, and time-tested relational psychotherapy, underpinned by a powerful work on Identity to help my clients rebuild their sense of self and ability to thrive after trauma.
Through compassion, self-awareness, and dedicated healing, individuals can emerge from the shadows of trauma into the light of restored well-being and the assurance of a more resilient, empowered future.
Let me hold you as you heal…
If you would like to work with me to process trauma, heal from heartbreak, release shame, heal anxiety, or simply learn how to regulate your nervous system please book your introductory call here:
Love,