moving beyond the grip of trauma. “trauma is the most misunderstood, avoided, ignored, denied, and...
TRANSCRIPT
Moving Beyond the Grip of Trauma
““Trauma is the Trauma is the Most Most Misunderstood, Misunderstood, Avoided, Ignored, Avoided, Ignored, Denied, Denied, and Untreated and Untreated Cause of Human Cause of Human SufferingSufferingToday“Today“
…Dr. Peter Levine
This workshop is an Introduction This workshop is an Introduction to Understanding the Experience to Understanding the Experience of Trauma. We will Explore an of Trauma. We will Explore an
Authentic Way to Begin the Authentic Way to Begin the Process of Healing the Symptoms.Process of Healing the Symptoms.
This is important information for people who This is important information for people who
have symptoms of trauma. have symptoms of trauma.
This is also important for caregivers who haven’tThis is also important for caregivers who haven’t
had a serious direct experience of trauma, but had a serious direct experience of trauma, but who can benefit from a more who can benefit from a more “First Hand “First Hand
Experiential Knowledge” Experiential Knowledge” of itof it..
We are going to explore how the symptoms of trauma take hold.
Understanding how traumas occurs is the key to using this approach for self-directed care & recovery.
We’ll learn ways to deal with the overwhelming feelings which
accompany trauma.We’ll also discover how to find our
inner resources to begin the process of recovery.
the Grip of Traumathe Grip of Trauma
the Grip of Traumathe Grip of Traumathe Grip of Trauma
the Grip of Trauma
the Grip of Trauma
the Grip of Trauma
Two sources of Trauma
• Shock Trauma Occurs when we experience overwhelming event(s) which we perceive as life-threatening at any time in our life.
• Developmental Trauma Occurs from on-going childhood abuse(s) such as neglect, cruelty, inadequate nurturing or guidance at critical developmental periods while growing up.
Hypothesis: Hypothesis: Recovery from Trauma is Recovery from Trauma is
PossiblePossible• Humans have the capacity to overcome traumaHumans have the capacity to overcome trauma
• Getting beyond trauma is the doorway to Getting beyond trauma is the doorway to emotional balance and spiritual emotional balance and spiritual transformationtransformation
• Although there are various ways to approach Although there are various ways to approach the healing of trauma, the method we will the healing of trauma, the method we will explore in this workshop is a strongly explore in this workshop is a strongly effective approach for permanent results.effective approach for permanent results.
For more information on the research currently being conducted in Trauma visitFor more information on the research currently being conducted in Trauma visit
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies at The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies at http://www.istss.org
/http://www.istss.org/resources/clinicians.cfm
Trauma is a Biological Response to Danger
• It’s an Instinctual Response
• Psychological and Cognitive Symptoms set in later because the natural functioning of the nervous system is compromised
• Unresolved trauma eventually effects our physical health too
That being Said…That being Said…
• The approach we will talk about today challenges psychiatric medicine, because this is a somatic approach to the healing of trauma
• Generally, psychiatric medicine treats trauma with talk therapy and drugs, but there are researchers who have not stopped there.
• From the perspective that serious trauma is biologically based, it makes sense that talk therapy can help the psychological symptoms of trauma, although it does little to relieve the biological symptoms of trauma.
• It is my understanding that many of us need both.
Trauma is traditionally Trauma is traditionally regarded as a psychological and regarded as a psychological and medical disorder of the mind. medical disorder of the mind. The practice of modern medicine The practice of modern medicine and psychology, while giving lip and psychology, while giving lip service to a connection between service to a connection between mind and body, greatly mind and body, greatly underestimates the deep underestimates the deep relationship they have in the relationship they have in the healing of trauma.healing of trauma.
…Dr. Peter Levine
Most trauma therapies address the Most trauma therapies address the mind through talk and the mind through talk and the molecules of the mind with drugs. molecules of the mind with drugs. Both of these approaches can be of Both of these approaches can be of use. However, trauma is not, will use. However, trauma is not, will not, and can never be fully healed not, and can never be fully healed until we also address the until we also address the essential role played by the body. essential role played by the body. We must understand how the body We must understand how the body is affected by trauma and its is affected by trauma and its central position in healing its central position in healing its aftermath. Without this aftermath. Without this foundation, our attempts at foundation, our attempts at mastering trauma will be limited mastering trauma will be limited and one-sided.and one-sided.
Quoted From
Waking the Tiger Healing Trauma
By Dr. Peter Levine
More necessary Things to More necessary Things to Understand About TraumaUnderstand About Trauma
The Experience of Body Sensationrather than Intense Emotion
is the Key to healing trauma
The Body wants to heal itself
When you begin to understand how trauma occurs and when you learn to identify the mechanisms that prevent it from resolving, you will also begin to recognize the ways in which your body attempts to heal itself
Quoted from
Aroused energy
Human Beings Seek Challenge and Excitement
The Natural, Healthy & Complete Arousal Cycle
• Body tensesBody tenses• Hyper-Hyper-alertnessalertness
• PreparednessPreparedness
• Mobilization & Mobilization & ActionAction
• ReturnReturn to Relaxed to Relaxed StateState
• Return to Return to EquilibriumEquilibrium
The Complete Biological Cycle of Trauma
The seed of the Traumatic Reaction is in
the arousal cycle • Arousal is the activity which energizes our survival response
• Hyper-arousal, coupled with the overwhelming immobilization of fear, when not completed, breeds the symptoms of trauma
• There are four core components present in a traumatic reaction
Hyper-arousal Constriction
Dissociati
on
Immobility
All symptoms develop from these four reactions, if the defensive, hyper-aroused energy which gets trapped at the point of immobility is not discharged in less than a few months.
What Goes Up, Must Come Down
• People long for challenge in life and arousal is the energy needed to meet the challenges
• A traumatized person has difficulty trusting the arousal cycle.
• Because trauma symptoms are hyper-arousal mixed with fear, a traumatized person will avoid or prevent the completion of the arousal cycle.
• The key to resolution is in the natural law, what goes up, must come down…in coaxing ourselves to trust the cycle.
Trauma is what Trauma is
Our response to a traumatic event is the significant factor, not the event that caused itTrauma is trauma, no
matter what caused it
trauma is trauma is trauma is trauma is trauma is trauma is trauma is trauma
Let’s Do some ExercisesThese exercises are for the care-givers who would benefit by having a more experiential understanding of this topic
The exercises will not traumatize, as they do not deal with trauma itself, but with our physiological responses which initiate the traumatic response
As a result of these exercises, it should become more clear why our response to a traumatic event is more significant than the event that caused it
Let’s Explore The Traumatic Reaction
further
Fight – we will fight if we can
Flight – we will run or escape if we can
Immobility – this is a little known and misunderstood biological survival reaction which is actually involuntary
Immobility: A Survival Response of both Man & Beast
In the natural cycle, after preparedness takes place, if
circumstances do not allow fight or flight, immobilization takes
over.
Immobilization is a biologically induced, natural
involuntary response.
Immobilization is a response which is also biologically
programmed into animals of prey, when they cannot escape their
captor.
It is the same response which overwhelms humans (and in the
same way) when serious danger or threat to life is perceived and
cannot be avoided.
You’ve heard the saying, “Playing
Possum?”
The North American Possum is very slow. If overcome by threat of death it will roll onto its
side in a death life pose, mouth open & drooling
From The Possum Pageshttp://opossum.craton.net/
Prey animals in the wild
have inborn,
instinctual protection from the long term effects of
trauma
If it were any other way, they would not survive
A Mega-Sophisticated Brain
The neo-cortex and frontal lobe of our brain, inhibit the completion of the Natural
Biological Trauma Cycle which is necessary in order to return to equilibrium after a
traumatic experience.
We’re so smart we over-ride our own instinct!We’re so smart we over-ride our own instinct!
• Having involuntary functions of the body is interpreted as being out of control which makes us feel that something is wrong
• We can also have feelings of shame about it• We dissociate from our body in the Immobility Response, that feels like death and we respond with fear
• If we do come out of immobility in the face of the threat, we fear our own rage in counter-attack
The Rational Brain The Rational Brain Judges… Judges… Our neo-cortex cuts off our biological cycle
because…
The Polar Bear Alert
Let’s watch a National Geographic Film clip of how a polar bear
biologically completes the natural cycle of a traumatic experience and
returns to equilibrium
The Up Side is…The Up Side is…• We do not need to re-live our We do not need to re-live our traumatic experience(s) to healtraumatic experience(s) to heal
• We can re-associate (or re-negotiate) We can re-associate (or re-negotiate) ourselves back into our body from the ourselves back into our body from the dissociation which occurs in trauma dissociation which occurs in trauma
• Although our brain is more Although our brain is more sophisticated then an animal, we sophisticated then an animal, we actually do possess instinctual actually do possess instinctual resources also, which we can learn to resources also, which we can learn to access to help us overcome the grip access to help us overcome the grip of trauma by completing the trauma of trauma by completing the trauma cyclecycle
How is the Brain Affected by Trauma?
Three areas of the brain are
usually effected by
trauma
Neo-cortex or Rational Brain
Emotional Brain (Limbic)
Reptilian Brain
(Instinctive)
Some or all of the brain functions in these areas can be inhibited by Trauma. Most frequently, the Reptilian area is over-ridden. This is the
beginning of trauma symptoms and psychological problems
The Recovery Process Can The Recovery Process Can Begin When it is Understood…Begin When it is Understood…
• That we have Inner Instinctual Resources That we have Inner Instinctual Resources we can accesswe can access
• That we can integrate the missing pieces That we can integrate the missing pieces to complete the cycleto complete the cycle
• That we can discharge (release) this That we can discharge (release) this hyper-aroused energy, and thus diminish hyper-aroused energy, and thus diminish our symptoms and transform our experience our symptoms and transform our experience
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO RE-LIVE IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO RE-LIVE THE TRAUMA TO PROCESS IT AND THE TRAUMA TO PROCESS IT AND
DISCHARGE ITDISCHARGE IT
We can tap into our physiological resources to
heal our symptoms In order to be freed from our symptoms
and fears, we can get in touch with and arouse our deeper physiological resources and in the present moment, consciously
use them. We can train ourselves to change the
course of our instinctual responses in a proactive, rather than a reactive way.
Quoted from Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma by Peter Levine
Approach the Trauma Approach the Trauma Recovery Process Recovery Process Gently & SlowlyGently & Slowly
• The keys to healing trauma are body sensation and coming to understand what is actually happening in your body.
• Intense emotion inhibits our ability to allow the energy cycle to move through us and complete itself.
• A slow and gentle approach is necessary because this is powerful, wild hyper-aroused energy. It’s been trapped in the body from the time of the immobility, and must be released as gently as possible. In increments, through processing it, over time.
Essentials to Essentials to integrate integrate in in order to get results order to get results from this self-directed from this self-directed
care care
AcceptanceAcceptance
Recognize that You Are SafeRecognize that You Are Safe NowNow
Learn to over-ride the fear, and put it aside. It cannot hurt you now. Accept and allow what you feel in your body. Trust that as the energy moves through its
intended natural cycle, it is discharging
Allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel. It’s necessary to accept the condition of your body, nervous system, mind and heart. i.e., your muscles and body may be tensed for
defensive action, you may feel emotional hurt, your thoughts may race….
Rely on Your Inner StrengthRely on Your Inner Strength Feeling of helplessness, defeat and overwhelm
are the psychological result and the experience of immobility. Dissociate yourself from those feelings. The actual event will not be relived, but understand that these
feelings may come
Recognize Your Natural Recognize Your Natural AggressionAggression
Be aware of your sense of strength, natural
aggression and resilience. With this awareness, you are poised for healing and
recovery. Learn to recognize and allow your instinctive responses which come from your
instinctual brain.
Uncouple EmotionUncouple Emotion
Bound-up, un-discharged energy intensifies all emotion including fear. With intention to do so, use your willpower to uncouple yourself from the fear. Let it be OK for the fear to be there.. If you intend to do this, it will be so. The fear is joined with the immobility.... Discharging this
energy releases both the feeling of immobility and the grip of fear, allowing
you to move beyond trauma and toward transformation
Ground & CenterGround & Center
Trauma disconnects people from their bodies. Grounding and centering reconnects you
directly with your body and the resources which are naturally available in your own
body. Your body has an intelligence too. It will tell you things if you pay attention. It has a different type of intelligence than the
rational brain has.
A Word AboutA Word AboutThought & EmotionThought & Emotion
• Emotions are body sensations, but it’s important to avoid being carried away by emotion.
• Noticing thoughts is also important, but do not be carried away or absorbed by thought either.
ResourcingResourcingOur instinctive resources can be many things…
memories, body sensations, feelings, and fleeting images. These resources can be drawn
into our awareness through the tracking process. Seek a supporting person to help
guide you in reclaiming these resources if this is a new idea or approach to healing for you.
Determining the Correct Determining the Correct Response as Your ResourceResponse as Your Resource
You will instinctively know what the correct response is as you track inside. Pay attention to it when it comes. At this point, you know when fighting or running is the appropriate response to the threat
and you can discharge the activated energy by following through with the action then and there by physically
acting it out.
TrackingTracking
This is a process of becoming aware and mindful of body sensation and images, and of learning to track sensations from place to place in your body.
PendulatingPendulating The more you find your resources, the more you will find a natural rhythm
that guides you back and forth between the present experience of your resource and the past defeat.
Let’s Learn How to Pendulate Now
Complete the CycleComplete the Cycle
Completing the trauma cycle Completing the trauma cycle discharges the energy that discharges the energy that
had been fueling the had been fueling the symptoms. symptoms.
Now your symptoms are free to Now your symptoms are free to diminish in strength and diminish in strength and frequency, or even to frequency, or even to
disappear.disappear.
Let’s Learn Some Let’s Learn Some Ways to Calm Ways to Calm OurselvesOurselves
Calming exercises will help you as you heal.
These are for calming down from aroused energy and
intense emotional reaction
For Grounding & Centering
• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart
• Feel your feet solidly planted on the floor
• Rock gently from side to side and then, from front to back
• Place your hands on your belly to locate your center of gravity about 2 inches above the navel
This Creates a Feeling This Creates a Feeling of Safetyof Safety
For a Sense of Empowerment & Healthy Aggression
• These exercises require a partner
• Counter Palm Pushing Palm to palm, push against your partners hands and notice the strength and force which arise from your core. The pusher slowly begins to exert pressure on the hand of the receptor. Practice the “feeling” of empowerment and healthy aggression from your innate physical strength.
• Counter Back Pushing Put yourself back to back with a partner. One partner pushes while the other matches the pushing with the same amount of resistance. Feel the power you have as you use the strength from your core and your legs
To Get Acquainted with Your Natural Sense of To Get Acquainted with Your Natural Sense of AggressionAggression
Shiatsu Finger Holds
jin shin jyutsu
Shiatsu Finger Holds Finger Holds Calm Emotion
Release and Balance the Energy of Strong Emotions
Hold each finger for a few minutes, wrap the opposite hand around the finger. Do this seated quietly or when you are experiencing strong emotions.
Effective at night before bed to clear the energy of the day and sleep soundly.
Or in the morning to start the day clear and centered.
Simply Hold Each Finger to Balance Emotional Energy Use either hand. Drains off over-intense energy and/or balance the energy flow. Through each finger runs a channel or meridian of energy
connected with corresponding organs in the body. Within a minute or two you will feel an energy pulse or throbbing
sensation. indicates that the energy is flowing and balanced Usually the strong feeling or emotion passes.
Shiatsu" is a Japanese word, literally meaning "finger pressure"
The Finger HoldsThe Finger HoldsBreath deeply as you do these exercisesBreath deeply as you do these exercises……
Inhale a Deep Sense of Peace and Security and Release Life’s Problems in the Midst of Them, Knowing
that You are Held and Cared for by Your Creator.
The ThumbAnxiety, Nervousness & insecurity. The thumb can help to discharge unnecessary worry and anxiety, saving energy for action. Breathe in comfort and safety, exhale angst.
Index FingerFear. Use this hold as a way to learn how to work with fear, rather than be its victim. Inhale courage and strength and exhale and let go of fear
The Finger Holds…The Finger Holds…continuedcontinued
Middle FingerAnger and rage. Hold the Middle Finger, exhale and let go of all anger and rage. Inhale compassion, energy, and passion for life
Ring FingerGrief, emotional pain and tears. Hold the ring finger, exhale all the grief and sorrow you feel. Breathe in deeply to fill yourself with peace and comfort. The finger hold does not repress tears or sorrow, but allows the energy to move through you until you feel calm
Baby FingerSelf-esteem, denial, confusion when feeling like a Victim. Hold the Small Finger and breathe deeply, exhaling and let go of feeling like a victim, let go of insecurity and unworthiness. Breathe in gratitude and appreciation for the life you have
Tapping for ClarityTapping for ClarityTap Your Acupressure Points
For Calming & Soothing Many Types of Emotion Upset
•Fear•Anxiety
•Depression•Memories
•Trauma Symptoms
•Nightmares
Also Known As Emotional Freedom TechniqueSee handout for more information
Breathing for Harmony & Breathing for Harmony & BalanceBalance
• Relax • Drop your shoulders and relax them • Bow your head• Allow a smile• Exhale… Releasing all of the negative energy. Use your mind’s eye to direct your energy down the front of the body as if the bad energy is sweeping off you as it reaches your feet
• Inhale… Use your mind’s eye to direct the energy upward and receive the Breath of Life… the Gift that it is
• Be the essence within your breath, it is what you are
• Do this several times each day for harmony and balancing
As you do this breathing, As you do this breathing, practice the Finger Holds for maximum benefit.practice the Finger Holds for maximum benefit.
Nerve Cleansing BreathNerve Cleansing Breath
• Use the thumb and ring finger to alternately open & close each nostril.
• Close the left nostril with the thumb and ring finger. Exhale as much air as possible, gently and slowly. Now gently inhale through the same nostril, filling the lungs.
• Change sides – close the right nostril with the thumb and ring finger - gentle and slowly repeating the pattern.
• Do not retain the breath, but strive for smooth transitions of breath. Repeat as many times as comfortable.
This is a simple, but powerful exercise which will help balance your nervous system, create more mental alertness,
healthier appetite, and deeper sleep.
Always do this while seated, Always do this while seated, as it can cause you to get light-headedas it can cause you to get light-headed..
Thank You Thank You for Being With Usfor Being With Us