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.

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