Transforming personal trauma
By Roz Brown
The
images projected worldwide of the Asian tsunami victims were searing.
Traumatized by a natural disaster that was televised around the globe,
the mind-numbing grief and disbelief vibrated off the screen. The survivors
were clearly in a state of profound shock. Just keeping people alive
was the main goal of nations providing food and supplies. Dealing with
emotional devastation would have to wait.
While perhaps not as dramatic, most of us have, in the course of a
lifetime, had one or more experiences that rocked our own world. It
might have been an accident or a physical injury. Perhaps it was abandonment,
abuse or an equally horrific relationship. It could even have been a
prenatal or birth experience that we don’t even remember.
Most trauma victims process their despair and, for all outward appearances,
return to what might be called “normal.” New research, however,
suggests that the kind of trauma caused by overwhelming experiences
can result in permanent neurological changes that, unless altered, can
negatively affect one’s life. Although we may find a way to adapt,
the underlying turmoil can cause behavioral shifts that don’t
serve us well or allow us to live the lives we were meant to live. One
method for healing and integrating traumatic experiences is called Trauma
Resolution.
“Trauma does not have to stem from a major catastrophe,”
says Dr. Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., an internally recognized authority
on trauma and author of Unattended Sorrow (Rodale Books, 2005). “We
become traumatized when our ability to respond to a perceived threat
is in some way overwhelmed.” For example, let’s say that
as a small child you encountered a ferocious dog and there was no one
around to come to your rescue. Although you might not have been physically
harmed, the incident could be followed by stomach aches, nightmares,
bedwetting and other problems.
The effects of trauma have long been recognized in soldiers returning
from battle. We know that many people in our society became alarmed
when significant numbers of Vietnam vets, suffering from the effects
of overwhelming trauma, became unemployed, drug addicted, homeless or,
worse, suicide victims. In 1989, the federal government created the
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the condition
was formally acknowledged for its debilitating affects.
Traumatic events have occurred to people throughout the ages, so clearly
PTSD is not a new disorder. But research, documentation and treatment
did not begin until after Vietnam. It was about that time that Levine
and others began developing tools to address trauma symptoms—somatic
or body-related therapies that could heal survivors.
In his book, Healing Trauma, Levine explains that a sudden or ongoing
threat arouses a fight or flight response in the body. That response
is appropriate, even life-saving, in certain circumstances—for
example, the sudden surge of adrenaline triggered by the sight of a
strange man approaching us in a dark parking lot may prompt us to run
more quickly to the safety of our car than we might otherwise be able.
Often, however, the alarm triggered in the nervous system remains long
after the event is over. The sensations aroused by a threat can become
“frozen” in our bodies and disrupt our ability to function
at our highest level—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Stuck in the body, these highly charged energies often cause symptoms
of trauma, which may include anxiety, depression, insomnia, physical
pain, self-destructive behaviors like drug addiction or “acting
out” behaviors that reflect painful events.
In trying to understand the human response to trauma, Levine has studied
how animals handle comparable frightening episodes, as detailed in his
book, Waking the Tiger. Wild animals regularly escape being eaten by
other animals and therefore experience the same organic response as
humans. But they’re not permanently paralyzed. While most humans
are extraordinarily resilient, some of us experience the emotional devastation
of trauma more than others. Due to higher brain functions that demand
an explanation for our tribulations, we may not be capable of energetically
releasing the trauma. Levine believes these events sometimes become
part of our bodies because we are stimulated again and again by new
events that feel like the original trauma. For example, an abusive relationship
left unexamined can result in the same relationship choice over and
over, whether it be personal or in the work environment. Flashbacks
or nightmares may even cause us to unconsciously avoid new experiences
or challenges because we’re afraid an old trauma may be triggered
anew.
Take for instance, the common car crash. In one study, 25 percent
of males and 13 percent of females in the United States reported that
auto accidents caused them significant trauma and stress. Levine calls
auto accident trauma one of the most misunderstood, under-treated and
even incorrectly treated of all traumas. An auto accident can result
in cognitive problems, chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia. Because most
of us cannot escape the need for an automobile, driving-related fears
may continue—and we may continue to be triggered.
In traditional treatment, a person still struggling with the after-effects
of a car crash may be asked to rehash the event in detail. Levine discourages
this approach because it again stimulates the trauma. Instead, he asks
the client to focus on the moment when he or she first felt safe following
the traumatic event.
Trauma in early childhood may be particularly devastating; children
have fewer resources and lack the ability to place a traumatic event
in context. Additionally, a child’s still-developing nervous system
can be overwhelmed by a traumatic event, which may feel all too close
to death.
"Abuse of any kind is especially harmful to children because
the effects can linger in the form of depression, a sense of hopelessness
and extremely low self-esteem,” says Stephanie Mines, author of
Sexual Abuse/Sacred Wound (Barrytown Limited, 1996) and We Are All In
Shock (New Page Books, 2003). "Children of abuse can be fearful
or guarded. They often find themselves craving affection or are especially
in need of acceptance and therefore end up in adult relationships with
people who take advantage of them, possibly even abuse them. Or they
are drawn to addictive behaviors like substance abuse, eating disorders
or compulsive sexual encounters. Generally speaking, the more prolonged
the abuse, the greater chance there is for survivors to experience the
affects of abuse for years and even decades after it has occurred."
According to Mines, the false neurological adaptations that take place
following shock and trauma must be reprogrammed to open new neurological
pathways. It’s usually necessary to combine talk therapy with
body work to “resolve the physiological, neurological, emotional,
psychological and spiritual impacts of shock and trauma,” Mines
says—for example, using acupressure in conjunction with verbal
communication can help release physical and emotional tension.
“The three keys to somatic treatment for survivors are sensory
awareness, integration and grounding,” says Mines. That would
include being aware of where the body holds trauma and allowing healing
through appropriate touch or energy medicine; telling your story in
a way and timeframe that does not feel threatening; and experiencing
a renewed sense of wholeness following each treatment.
Mines says there are steps to recover from shock quickly that allow
for rational and wise decision-making rather than panic. For example:
- Wrap the fingers of one hand around the index finger of the other
so that it rests securely in the palm. Hold until the breath deepens
and you become calm. Switch hands (May be used when encountering breathing
difficulties and/or anger.)
- Hold the top of the head with the palm of the right hand. Hold
the center of the forehead with palm of the left hand. Bring the palms
of the hands together, interlocking the fingers, as if in prayer.
You may also hold the hands in this position anywhere it is comfortable:
the lap, in front of the heart or to the side.
- Rest one hand in the center of the chest and the other hand at
the base of the cranium.
“By holding specified areas of the body and letting go of trauma-based
thinking, the mind and the body are cleared for the present,”
Mines says. “As this is done daily or consistently, fundamental
changes are experienced and continue as deeper and deeper layers of
trauma and shock are healed.”
Mines says people who overcome trauma have something in common with
the animal kingdom. “People with a quality of endurance, who often
had to remain functional while still in their original traumatic environment
are some of (the) greatest success stories,” says Mines. “They
have a survivor quality. They didn’t collapse. They were patient
with themselves and let go of failures when they chose to initiate healing.”
The cost of working with a trauma practitioner varies, much like any
discipline. A two-day introductory course could be as little as $300,
while a week-long practitioner course would be upwards of $3,000. Individual
sessions start from around $70 per hour to $150 per hour.
Trauma Resources, local and beyond
For more information, see the following resources:
- www.istss.org
- www.ncptsd.org
- www.tara-approach.org
- www.theinstitute.org
- www.trauma-pages.com
- www.wiit.com
- The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease, by
Robert C. Scaer (Haworth Press, 2001)
- I Can’t Get Over It, Aphrodite Matsakis (New Harbinger Publications,
1996)
- Sexual Abuse/Sacred Wound, by Stephanie Mines (Barrytown Limited,
1996)
- Trauma and Recovery: The Study of Psychological Trauma, by Judith
Herman (Basic Books, 1997)
- Unattended Sorrow, By Stephen Levine (Rodale Books, 2005)
- Waking the Tiger, by Peter Levine (North Atlantic Books, 1997)
- We Are All In Shock, by Stephanie Mines (New Page Books, 2003)
There are many Nexus advertisers who work with trauma. Look through
the pages of the magazine, and see the Directory
of Resources.
JULY/AUGUST 2008 FEATURE ARTICLES
